


the world will always be there, and so will i

by tkstrand



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Harry Potter - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, No Smut, Pining, Slow Burn, imagine them being british if you want but i didn't write it that way, lots of fluff bc i physically cant make carlos sad, lots of pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:40:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 44,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24070756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tkstrand/pseuds/tkstrand
Summary: “Maybe if you didn’t spend so much time eye-fucking Slytherin boy over there, then you’d actually listen to me,” Michelle huffs.“I’m not eye-fucking him, Michelle. And he has a name.”“Oh, trust me, we know. It’s not like you ever shut up about him,” Michelle quips.Or, where TK and Carlos attend Hogwarts together.
Relationships: Alex (9-1-1 Lone Star)/TK Strand, Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Grace Ryder/Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star)
Comments: 80
Kudos: 247





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> hi !! so i've never written a fic before but i love these boys & this show and i wanted a harry potter au so i figured...why not write it myself?
> 
> this’ll be chaptered but i have no fucking clue how many chapters there will be so...feel free to go on this journey with me.
> 
> also the title is from ben platt's new song bc i can't stop listening to it and i feel like it was practically written for tarlos
> 
> anyways i've never done this before so feedback would be greatly appreciated! comments and kudos are always welcome :)

“Earth to Carlos,” Michelle waves a hand in front of his face, snapping the man out of his trance. “Did you hear anything I just said?”

Carlos glances over at her before sighing in resignation. He takes a bite of his half-eaten muffin, turning to face his best friend.

“No, Michelle, I’m sorry I don’t hang on to your every word,” he says, rolling his eyes.

“Maybe if you didn’t spend so much time eye-fucking Slytherin boy over there, then you’d actually listen to me,” Michelle huffs.

“I’m not _eye-fucking_ _him_ , Michelle. And he has a name.”

“Oh, trust me, we know. It’s not like you ever shut up about him,” Michelle quips.

“Is Carlos talking about TK again?” Carlos groans as he hears Grace’s voice behind him before seeing the woman drop down next to him at the Gryffindor table.

“Ooh, is loverboy over here finally ready to make a move?” Mateo asks as he joins them. 

Great. Now Carlos has his whole friend group to assist Michelle in bullying him.

“Don’t you guys have something better to do?” Carlos speaks up, voicing his thoughts. 

“Nothing is better than teasing you about your infatuation with a _Slytherin_ , of all people,” Michelle wrinkles her nose as Grace begins to protest. 

Michelle waves off Grace’s objections before continuing. “I wasn’t talking about Judd, Gracie. You guys are different. TK, on the other hand, is the Slytherin _seeker_. Carlos, he’s your rival both on and off the pitch. Why him?”

It was a good question, one Carlos had too many answers to while at the same time being at a loss for a reasonable response. Logically, he knew falling for TK Strand was a very unwise thing to do. However, he couldn’t help his attachment to the man, even if every interaction of theirs was tainted with insults.

As his eyes wandered back to the Slytherin dining table, Carlos couldn’t help but go back to Mateo’s earlier comment. It’s not like he hadn’t considered being friendly to TK. He tried, he really did. But even if he wanted to ask TK out, which he _does_ \- something he’d never admit to his friends, although he was sure they already knew - it wasn’t possible. TK Strand hated Carlos with every ounce of his being.

That, and TK has a boyfriend.

Carlos focuses his attention back on Michelle after seeing Alex wrap a protective arm around TK, pulling him closer. The expression he’s met with is softer, the teasing tone Michelle usually reserves for him gone from her face.

He shrugs in response to her earlier question, finishing his breakfast as he wipes off his hands.

“So,” Carlos starts. He needs to change the subject, as soon as possible. He already thinks too much about TK and the inevitable heartbreak he has to deal with. It’s too early for his friends to be roped into his moping as well. “What’s the plan for today?”

Michelle just gives him the same look as before, one of reassurance and understanding. A quick glance shows him that Mateo and Grace are giving him soft smiles as well. His best friends may be a pain in the ass sometimes, but Carlos loves them.

“ _Well_ , if you had been listening to me earlier, you would know that our schedules are being handed out this morning,” Michelle says. As if on cue, the Head of Gryffindor walks up to them, handing them their individual timetables.

Carlos takes one look at his classes and knows he’s fucked. Truly, utterly, fucked.

“Please tell me one of you has potions with me,” he groans, turning to compare his sheet with the group. “I cannot be alone in that dungeon with Slytherins for an hour and a half.”

Grace slings an arm around his shoulders before smiling brightly at him. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a potions partner right here,” she confirms.

Carlos breathes a sigh of relief as he returns Grace’s enthusiastic smile before fist-bumping her. At least he’ll have her to help deal with TK’s rude commentary. He looks over to see Michelle and Mateo smirk at them with mischief dancing in their eyes. They passed their O.W.Ls with flying colors the year before, all of them had, but neither of the two saw themselves in a career dealing with potions, so they didn’t feel the need to continue taking the class.

Carlos, on the other hand, wanted to become an auror. He knew it was a slim chance and that the occupation was dangerous, but there was something compelling about putting dark wizards in their place. With the Department of Magical Law Enforcement becoming so controversial lately, Carlos felt the need to make sure there was someone good on the job, someone who actually wanted to make the world of magic a better place. Especially after what happened with his parents.

Carlos hated potions with a passion. But it would be necessary to know the kind of substances he may be dealing with on the job.

He startles when Grace abruptly moves away from him, the woman standing as she speaks to her friends with excitement in her eyes.

“I just saw the Slytherins getting their schedules, I’ll be right back,” she says as she begins to move away from their table, no doubt going to compare her timetable to her boyfriend’s.

Grace and Judd have been inseparable since their first year, ever since a Slytherin called Grace a mudblood and Judd beat the shit out of him. Grace then rounded on the man who stood up for her, insisting that she could take care of herself. 

No one cared that it was a Slytherin dating a Gryffindor, everyone just kind of went with it. It was kind of insane, considering the rivalry between the two houses. Carlos put it down to the fact that most people were terrified of Judd.

Nevertheless, their relationship gave Carlos the tiniest bit of hope that it could work out between him and TK. That is, if they didn’t have all of this other stuff to sort through.

As his mind trailed back to TK, so did his gaze. There was something off about him, but he couldn’t tell what it was. It was only their second day back, but this would be Carlos’ sixth year studying the man from afar, so he could tell when something wasn’t right. 

TK looked more tired than usual, sullen. It wasn’t often that Carlos found him in a good mood, especially when he was in the room, but he appeared more resigned than Carlos had ever seen him before. 

He looked like he wanted to give up.

Shaking his head to rid of his thoughts, Carlos joins in on the light conversation between Mateo and Michelle about their upcoming classes. Grace soon walks back over to them, a sheepish expression joining the lovestruck eyes she always has after spending time with Judd.

Grace aims her guilty look towards Carlos, the man already feeling the pit in his stomach start to form.

“I’m sorry Carlos. Judd has potions with us..”

Carlos gives her a half-smile, happy that she’s able to have a class with the love of her life. It also kind of sucks, though, he won’t lie.

“I guess I’ll be mastering the art of making potions alone,” Carlos looks up at her from his position at the table, giving her a teasing grin.

Together they gather up their mountain of trash, throwing away their remnants of breakfast. Once they reach the Gryffindor common room, they disperse to prepare for their first day of classes and the whirlwind it could throw at them.


	2. Chapter Two

TK is late. 

It’s his first day, and he’s already fucking up. It’s not his fault his friends decided to throw a prank on him, hiding his robes where he couldn’t find them. It took him twenty minutes to finally locate the clothes, and by the time he did, his potions class had already started.

He pushed through the doors to the class in the dungeons, fuming at his friends. He’s grateful the Head of Slytherin is their potions teacher, or else he’d be in a lot more trouble. TK has had the pleasure of learning the hard way that tardiness isn’t exactly favored by many of the teachers at Hogwarts.

Professor Windsor barely spares him a glance as he storms into the room, continuing on with her lecture about this year’s syllabus. TK’s eyes sweep the area before shooting a glare towards Judd, who’s smirking at him with his arm wrapped around his girlfriend. 

TK and Judd have had an ongoing prank war during their years at Hogwarts, and eventually their other friends started joining in on the fun too. Usually, though, it’s at least a week into the school year before their antics start up.

This year is going to be one of a kind, TK can already tell.

Ignoring the snickers at his obvious annoyance, TK turns away from Judd in search of his boyfriend. 

As his eyes fall on Alex, his gaze also lands on the man next to him. He knows that Alex and Mitchell are good friends, but he can’t help the flash of irritation that courses through him at the idea that his boyfriend didn’t save a spot for him. He knows the thought is petty and the slightest bit selfish, but he and Alex have been together for two years now. It just feels like the one constant in his life is slipping away from him.

To make matters worse, Alex barely looks up as TK walks past his table, failing to acknowledge his presence. 

TK sighs. When he and Alex first started dating, they were attached at the hip. You never saw one of them in the same room without the other. They loved each other, too. 

But the same couldn’t be said about their relationship now, not recently. 

Lately it felt like they were only together because that’s what everyone expected of them, and TK was perfectly willing to go along with that. Amidst the chaos swirling in TK’s mind, Alex acted as a routine, someone to always come back to. 

There were only a few things TK could rely on that would stay the same at the end of the day, regardless of whatever shitty thing happened in his personal life: Alex, quidditch, and making fun of Carlos Reyes.

TK internally groaned as he realized that the only empty seat in the room was next to the man he considered his enemy. He made his way over with trepidation in his footsteps, plopping down unceremoniously next to him.

Carlos’ head shot up at the commotion, a look of surprise flashing across his face before schooling his features into a steely glare.

“Trouble in paradise?” Carlos questions, a smirk slowly growing on his face.

“At least I have someone to spend my time with,” TK shoots back. He doesn’t have the patience to deal with Carlos today. After his hell of a summer combined with the poor start to the morning, TK is seriously considering just going back to his room to sleep off the entire day.

Carlos studies him for a moment, giving him a look that has TK’s gut twisting in an unpleasant way, the smirk gone from his face. This expression is softer, curious.

“Staring is rude, Reyes, didn’t your parents ever teach you that? You did enough of it at breakfast to last you a lifetime, anyways.”

As if he had flipped a switch with his words, the closed off expression returns to Carlos’ face, his jaw tensing. 

“What, did that one hit a little too close to home? You poor thing,” TK pouts at him, suppressing a laugh.

He watches as Carlos takes a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his fists as he does so.

“Fuck you, Strand.”

TK just smiles, pleased at how easily he’s able to get under the other man’s skin. If he’s being honest, he looks forward to these little arguments with Carlos. It keeps him on his toes.

The next few minutes are filled with relative silence as Professor Windsor goes into detail about their first assignment. Once she’s done explaining, TK can’t help but quietly complain about the work. It’s their _first day,_ for fucks sake.

“Jesus fucking christ,” he mutters under his breath.

“I didn’t take you as the religious type,” Carlos responds, amusement dancing in his eyes as TK glares at him.

“Let’s just start making this Pepperup potion and be through with it. We’ll already have to write the lab report for homework,” TK grumbles as he sets to work on preparing the ingredients.

Carlos simply hums in response before joining him.

They work silently for a few moments before Carlos pipes up. 

“I still don’t really understand why we need a potion to cure a common cold. Shouldn’t there be a spell for that by now?”

TK shrugs, thinking for a second before formulating a response. 

“I guess nothing about the wizarding world is perfect. It would be pretty eerie if it was, don’t you think? Everything has imperfections, even a world full of magic.”

TK looks up after receiving nothing but silence, seeing a shocked expression on Carlos’ face. He obviously wasn’t expecting that kind of response. TK feels his cheeks heat up as he looks back down at his work.

“Let’s finish this, yeah?” TK says, attempting to shift the conversation back to their assignment. 

Carlos nods, lost in his thoughts. He’s giving TK the same look as he did earlier, sending an uneasy thrill through the Slytherin’s body. TK shakes his head lightly, instead focusing his attention on the potion they’re supposed to be making.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

Never in a million years would TK have expected for something he and Carlos collaborated on to actually turn out decent. 

Taking both of them by surprise, TK and Carlos had worked seamlessly with one another, communicating on where they were in the process and what they needed.

They didn’t even insult each other once, TK mused.

“You look like shit, by the way,” Carlos comments as they begin cleaning up their area and getting ready to leave. 

Maybe he spoke too soon.

“And you’re any better, hot shot?” TK retaliates. 

Carlos rolls his eyes before his gaze turns soft. “Are you okay, TK?”

His tone is earnest and genuine, something TK isn’t used to hearing from many people, much less the person who hates him the most. Carlos’ honesty is starting to scare him a bit.

Suffice to say, it’s been a weird fucking start to the school year.

TK scoffs in disbelief at Carlos, turning to face him. “Why the hell would you care about my wellbeing? It’s none of your business anyways,” TK responds, doing his best to avoid the question.

“You’re right, it’s not. I don’t know why I even bothered to ask in the first place.” 

Carlos goes to speak again, but TK beats him to it.

“I don’t know why you’re being _nice_ to me all of a sudden, but whatever you’re trying to do isn’t working. Just because one assignment turned out okay doesn’t mean we’re best friends now. I’m not obligated to tell you my life story, so stop asking,” TK snaps, keeping his voice low.

He storms out of the room, class having been dismissed a couple minutes prior, leaving behind a stunned Carlos.

TK keeps walking down the corridor, never taking his eyes off of his feet. He only stops when he practically runs into Marjan. 

“TK? Everything alright?” She searches his eyes for any kind of answer, one that he won’t be giving her. 

Marjan is TK’s best friend, but he doesn’t know how to explain his outburst. He doesn’t know how to explain that it’s scary to see someone finally noticing his struggles. He doesn’t know how to explain everything that happened this summer to Marjan, Paul, or Judd. He doesn’t know how to explain how terrified he is. 

Instead, he just envelopes his friend in a bone-crushing hug, reveling in her warmth and comfort. He’ll find the words to explain later, but for now he’ll appreciate the wordless support Marjan is giving him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a hot minute oops but i hope you enjoyed this chapter <3
> 
> i'm hoping to start writing more again soon so bear with me !!
> 
> as always, comments and kudos are always appreciated :)


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for this chapter- mentions of death
> 
> i told myself i couldn't go to bed until i finished this chapter and now it's 4:30 in the morning oops

Carlos still has an incredulous look on his face as he walks towards Grace, who stopped to wait for him outside their potions classroom.

Her expression becomes curious as he grows closer, question written all over her face.

“What the hell happened after Judd and I left? One minute you guys were actually getting along for once, then the next all I saw was TK looking like he was in a hurry to get out of there. Away from _you_. He looked pissed.”

“Yeah, I know. It was nothing. Just another one of our stupid arguments,” he says as he brushes off her interrogation. Grace seems to know there’s more to the story, but lets it go nonetheless.

As they head in the direction of their next lessons, Carlos lets his mind wander to the previous class period.

Despite the witty back and forth they shared, Carlos actually thought they worked pretty well together. He couldn’t help but feel like it was _right_. Like they were meant to build each other up rather than beat each other down like they were used to doing.

They worked so effortlessly with one another, Carlos could only imagine what they could do if they teamed up more often. Not that TK would ever agree with him, if the last words they shared were any indication.

TK’s reaction solidified his theory that something was wrong, but Carlos only felt helpless. TK obviously didn’t want him to get involved, and it wasn’t his place to do so. But he wanted to do something to help, it was in his blood.

It didn’t make it any easier that Carlos was hopelessly in love with the Slytherin.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

TK didn’t show up to dinner that night.

Carlos’ leg bounced up and down as he recounted the day’s events, just wanting to crawl into bed and sleep.

But then he looked over to see TK’s spot at the Slytherin table empty, and his worry increased tenfold. He avoided the concerned gazes of his friends as he stood up, making a decision.

He warily walked over to TK’s group of friends, unsure of what the response would be. He was TK’s biggest competitor in quidditch, after all, with them both being their respective teams’ seekers. It was a school-wide rivalry and everyone was aware of the tension between Carlos and TK. Therefore, Carlos was slightly nervous to be walking over to the opposing team’s most popular friend group.

As he makes his way over, Carlos can’t help but notice Alex’s presence. If TK is in the same state as he was after class, shouldn’t his boyfriend be concerned? Comforting him? The thought makes Carlos itch with anger and the slightest bit of jealousy, but he tries not to focus on it. If Alex wasn’t going to check up on TK, then Carlos would.

He immediately locks eyes with Paul, Slytherin’s best keeper in decades. The man absolutely dominates the pitch, and Carlos respects that. Admires it, even. 

Paul holds their stare as Carlos gets closer, ready for whatever he’ll throw at him. When Carlos approaches, he motions in the direction of the hallway, asking for a moment of privacy. Marjan and Judd regard him with cautious looks before shrugging at Paul, leaving the decision up to him.

Once they reach the safety of the quiet corridor, Carlos takes a deep breath before speaking.

“Uh, hey.”

Paul raises his eyebrows in response, willing him to continue.

“I know this is going to sound weird, but something happened with TK earlier and he seemed even more aggravated than he usually is with me, which is hard to do, and I’m just...”

Paul cuts off his rambling, saving Carlos from any further embarrassment.

“What’s your goal here, Reyes? What are you trying to achieve by dragging me out here?”

Carlos keeps his eyes on his feet, feeling his neck begin to heat from humiliation. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles, “I shouldn’t have said anything. I’ll let you get back to your friends.”

Paul eyes him warily before letting out a deep sigh. “TK has been acting weird ever since we got back from summer break. He hasn’t said anything about it, and we’re not gonna push him to, but we can all tell that something happened at home. He made some excuse about homework when we all left for dinner, but it doesn’t take a genius to know that’s bullshit. He’s never passed up an opportunity for shepherd's pie in all of our years here.”

Carlos looks at him with disbelief written all over his face. “Why are you telling me all of this?”

“As much as you try to act like you hate the guy, I can tell you actually care about TK. I guess this is my way of saying thank you,” he shrugs. 

Carlos huffs out a laugh before giving Paul a small smile. “Am I really that easy to read?”

“Sometimes,” the other man returns his grin as he joins in on the lighter banter. “But not on the pitch, that’s for sure. I’m always surprised when you go for the snitch. You’re a beast, man.”

“Likewise,” Carlos replies, slightly surprised at the man’s kindness. He’s never believed that Paul was a mean person, he just didn’t expect to have a civil conversation with one of TK’s best friends after years of rivalry. “Thank you for talking to me, seriously.”

“Anytime. You’re not as bad as TK makes you out to be,” he flashes Carlos one last amused glance before turning to make his way back to the dining hall, patting him on the shoulder in the process.

Carlos bites his lip as Paul retreats from their spot in the hallway. He still has one question he’s itching to ask, but he doesn’t know if it’s his place to say anything. His curiosity eventually wins.

“Hey Paul?”

The man turns around with one hand still on the grand doors. Carlos keeps speaking before his nerves get the best of him.

“Why isn’t Alex with TK right now? Shouldn’t he be supporting him through all this shit you think he’s going through?”

Paul groans and rolls his eyes at the mention of TK’s boyfriend. _T_ _hat_ was not the reaction he was expecting. 

This conversation just keeps getting more and more bizarre.

“I really shouldn’t say this but...Alex isn’t good for TK. He’s always making up excuses not to hang out with him and blames him for shit he didn’t do. He doesn’t notice when TK’s uncomfortable or anything like that and even when he does he barely does anything to try and help. But then he goes around acting like he owns the guy,” Paul rolls his eyes again before they go wide, realizing the extent of his rant.

“Shit. I shouldn’t have said that. Any of it. Please just forget what you heard.”

Carlos hardly hears him through the boiling rage building up in his chest, threatening to spill over and cause him to do something he’ll regret. “Thank you for telling me, Paul,” his voice barely above a whisper. 

Before the other man can respond, Carlos quickly turns around, making his way towards the library. He needs a quiet place to think and slowly release his anger. His stupid, unreasonable anger. He shouldn’t be this mad at Alex. 

But at the same time, the guy’s a piece of shit. TK deserves so much better than him. Carlos can feel the longing ache in his chest to just hide TK away from the dangers of the world. Away from Alex. Away from whatever hurt him this past summer.

It’s not like he’d ever be able to do that, though. TK will never see him in a positive light, and Carlos has come to terms with the fact that he’ll just have to deal with that, no matter how much he doesn’t want to.

Carlos makes his way to the back of the library, waving at Madame Pince on his way in. The older woman comes from a long line of librarians, dating all the way back to the Battle of Hogwarts. 

Being the history nerd he is, Carlos never misses an opportunity to talk to Madame Pince about her family or the endless knowledge of the castle that she possesses.

As his mind wanders, he approaches the secluded corner that he always studies in and uses as a place to calm down. Carlos frowns when he realizes that there’s already someone occupying his spot with their back to him.

His frown only gets deeper as he nears the group of chairs, making out the figure of one TK Strand. 

So much for getting his mind off of things.

Carlos idles for a moment before deciding to head over there anyways. He wasn’t going to let his trip to the library be a waste of energy.

“You’re in my spot,” he says determinedly as he rounds to face TK.

Damn. The man looks even worse than he did this morning. Worse than he did after his outburst in class. Carlos’ concern from earlier returns as he meets TK’s tired eyes.

“Didn’t know there were assigned seats,” he snaps. 

Even his snipes at Carlos were half-assed. His voice sounds weak as he says the words, drained. Like it took all of his energy to get out that one sentence.

Carlos sits down on the coffee table across from TK, responding only with silence. TK’s eyes track his movements before fluttering shut as he leans back against the cushions.

“What are you doing here, Reyes? I don’t want to deal with you right now.”

“I came to get my mind off of some stuff. I didn’t know you’d be here. Like I said, you’re in my spot.” 

As he speaks, Carlos continues to catalog TK’s ragged appearance. The latter opens his eyes, catching Carlos’ cautious gaze.

“What the hell do _you_ have to clear your mind about? Your life is perfect. Good group of friends, Gryffindor seeker, good grades. And I’m sure you’ve got a good family at home too,” TK continues, his tone somewhat degrading, but laced with a hint of something more vulnerable.

Carlos clenches his jaw at the reminder of his parents. “You don’t know anything about my life, Strand. And I don’t know anything about yours, either.”

“Let’s keep it that way,” TK responds, settling back into the cushy chair as if he was ready to take a nap.

Carlos chooses to ignore the way his heart drops to his knees at TK’s words. He’s always known that TK didn’t like him or care about his life, but he couldn’t help the slightest bit of hope that would rise in his chest whenever he thought of getting to know the Slytherin a little better. 

Carlos lets his mind drift to the last time he saw TK, causing an oddly comfortable silence to fall over the two.

“When’s the last time you ate?”

TK’s eyes fly open, a combination of curiosity and annoyance burning in his gaze. “You’re still here?”

“You weren’t at dinner,” Carlos continues without thinking.

TK’s expression softens for a split second before reverting back to the glare reserved specifically for Carlos. 

“Yeah, I was trying to finish this stupid lab report from class,” he rolls his eyes, gesturing haphazardly towards his abandoned work on the table.

Carlos winces as he remembers his own homework in his room, waiting to be completed.

“Okay, tell you what,” Carlos speaks with confidence, albeit the nerves coursing through his veins.

“I know some people down in the kitchens, I can get us in and snag some leftovers from dinner. You still need to eat. Then we can swing by the Gryffindor rooms for me to pick up my work, and we can finish Professor Windor’s assignment. We did work on the potion with each other, after all. It might make it easier.”

When Carlos raises his eyes to TK’s, he’s met with a slack jaw and a stunned look on his face. 

“Us? As in you and me? Together?”

Carlos averts his gaze and shrugs, starting to regret his proposal. They’re coming up on 6 years of hating one another; why would that suddenly change now?

After a few moments of tense silence, TK finally voices an answer.

“I mean, yeah. Sure. Okay.” 

He still has a dazed look on his face, not quite believing that this is where his night is heading.

Carlos understands his confusion. He’s in the same state of ‘ _is this really happening right now?_ ’

He motions towards the exit of the library as TK hurriedly gathers his possessions, both of them still in disbelief.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

The two boys walk down the corridor in silence, both trying to find a way to break the tension that has settled between them.

“I’m sorry about earlier, in class.”

Carlos looks over to TK, catching his furrowed brows and a determined expression adorning his features. It’s adorable.

Carlos waves off the apology along with his distracted thoughts. “It’s fine. It’s not like you’ve never said anything rude to me before,” he smirks.

TK cracks a small smile, but his eyes are still filled with guilt. 

Nevertheless, the air around them seems to lighten at the familiar back and forth they usually share.

They eventually reach the discreet back entrance to the kitchens, disguised as another one of the many gargoyles that decorate the halls of Hogwarts.

TK looks on in amusement as Carlos pulls out his wand, muttering an indecipherable spell that makes the statue spring forward, leading them towards a heavenly smell.

“I didn’t know you went around breaking into the school kitchens, Reyes. Color me impressed.” 

Carlos shoots him a grin before ducking through the small door with TK at his heels.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Strand."

The second they step foot into the room, at least three house elves are at their beck and call.

“Carlos, sir!”

“Good to see you again, sir!”

“Anything we can get you, sir?”

“Hey guys,” Carlos greets them with nothing but kindness in his voice. “My friend here missed dinner tonight, mind if I grab some stuff for us to eat?”

“Let us get it for you, sir! No student at Hogwarts should go without dinner, sir!”

Carlos spares a glance at TK, taking in the small smile on his face as he watches their interaction.

He turns back to the house elves who are eagerly awaiting his response.

“I’ve got it guys, but thank you so much.”

The house elves rapidly nod, scurrying off to attend to their post-dinner duties.

“Meet me in the corridor,” Carlos tells TK. “I’ll be right there.”

TK gives him a half-nod, seemingly lost in his thoughts as he slowly makes his way out of the kitchens.

Carlos takes a deep, steadying breath once TK is out of sight. They’ve been relatively civil far, and he hopes it lasts, even if only for tonight.

He makes his way around the kitchen, brushing off the generous offers of various house elves as he gathers a mountain of food in his arms.

He heads towards the exit, thanking the house elves as he spells the gargoyle door shut. He turns around, searching for TK in the dim lights. 

He can’t help the small possibility that rises in his mind of TK abandoning him and this whole idea of his.

His doubt quickly goes down the drain as he spots the man in a quiet corner, away from any prying eyes.

Carlos makes his way towards TK, noticing the far-away look that’s still on his face. He feels a pang of sadness as he thinks of all that TK has been through lately. Even if he doesn’t know the specifics, Carlos can tell it isn’t good.

He longs to be a source of comfort for TK, someone he can trust with his deepest worries.

“Hey,” he says softly, not wanting to intrude on whatever thoughts are filling TK’s mind.

The Slytherin looks up from his place on the ground as Carlos crouches down to join him, his eyes going wide at the amount of food he’s holding.

“Holy shit. You really do know some people in the kitchens, huh?”

Carlos shrugs. “More like I know house elves who have a need to please.”

TK’s eyebrows almost disappear into his hairline at how high he raises them, silently judging him.

“What? I’m not trying to take advantage of them or anything. It’s quite the opposite, actually. I prefer building relationships with the house elves here. Their situation kinda sucks, so I do all I can to help them. They’re the real heroes of Hogwarts.”

TK is silent for a moment as the same pondering look returns to his face from earlier.

“You never fail to surprise me, Reyes,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper.

Carlos looks up from placing the assortment of food around them, meeting TK’s soft expression. He’s never seen TK be this open around him, and it’s kind of throwing him off guard. He has no clue how to act. 

But he likes this version of TK. He wouldn’t mind seeing more of this person instead of the one who constantly tries to put him down.

TK shakes his head, oblivious to the whirlwind of confusion he just caused in Carlos’ mind. 

He looks around at the multitude of snacks around them, immediately reaching for one of the items almost directly after Carlos sets it down.

“Oh my god. Reyes, you did not. This is my absolute _favorite_ , I can’t believe I skipped out on this tonight.” 

TK starts shoveling the shepherd's pie into his mouth at warp speed, letting out noises that Carlos needs to get out of his mind _right now_. Now is not the time. Or ever.

“Glad you like it,” he responds, silently thanking Paul for the little piece of information.

They eat in companionable silence for a few minutes before TK speaks up again, the gentle tone creeping back into his voice.

“Thank you,” he speaks softly, fiddling with the edge of his robes.

“What for?”

“For all of this,” TK waves his hand in the direction of their half finished food, “for actually caring about me,” he adds on quietly, still avoiding Carlos’ gaze.

Carlos feels his heart skip a beat at TK’s words, not quite believing what he’s hearing. It hurts to think that TK doesn’t feel cared for, but he’s glad he got his message across. TK always deserves to be seen, no matter what.

“Of course,” Carlos returns, his voice matching TK’s.

Before he realizes what’s happening, TK begins speaking again.

“In potions this morning, when you asked me if I was okay, you seemed so sincere. And that scared me. It scared me because I’m not okay, and I’m terrified to admit it. So I yelled at you. And I’m sorry about that, I really am. It’s just, I know I have people who care about me. I love my friends. I love Alex. But I’m so scared, Carlos. I don’t know what to do.”

TK’s eyes shine with unshed tears as he finishes his spiel, and Carlos just wants to reach out and comfort him, but refrains at the mention of Alex.

Carlos takes a deep breath before coming to a decision.

If TK can be vulnerable with him, it only feels right to return the gesture. To show him that he can be trusted.

“Do you remember the murder of Jade Callaway?”

TK looks up at him while wiping his tears, confused by the change of subject.

“Yeah? It was all over the news,” TK confirms.

“When I was nine, I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of a bunch of voices arguing. They kept getting louder and louder until I could eventually hear what they were saying. These men were telling my mom and dad that they were under arrest for her murder. Said something about working together to plan it and then cover it up. 

“My parents were obviously objecting. I know they didn’t do it, it was physically impossible. I was with them the night Jade was murdered. But these guys kept yelling and yelling and-”

Carlos closes his eyes, feeling the pain that night caused all over again.

He feels the ghost of a hand over his, TK providing silent comfort. Carlos tightens his grip, holding onto TK like a lifeline.

“Then I heard this really loud noise, like a spell being cast, but a hundred times louder. And then my mom screamed. I’ll never forget the sound of my mother screaming...I still have nightmares about it to this day. But what’s even worse is when it became silent. There was all this screaming, all of this yelling, and then nothing. Complete silence. 

“The Ministry of Magic came to my house that summer to arrest the wrong people, then ended up killing them instead. They arrested the actual murderer three months later. Apparently it was connected to some other killings that were done in a similar way.”

TK lets out a strangled noise filled with anger and hurt, reflecting Carlos’ emotions for the past seven and a half years.

“The Ministry never told anyone what they did. They covered up every one of their tracks, paid people who knew to keep silent. But they’ll never be able to bring my parents back or erase my memory of that night.”

Carlos’ voice breaks as he finishes. He’s never said the story out loud, and recounting the night brings a fresh wave of tears to his eyes.

He’s constantly reminded of the pain the Ministry of Magic inflicted on his family, and uses it as motivation to make the wizarding world a better place.

He never wants anyone to feel the way he did that night and every night since then.

“So,” Carlos continues softly, “I know what it feels like to be scared. To feel like there’s no end to what you’re feeling. But like you said, you have people who care about you. Use that to your advantage. It’s okay not to be okay, but you can’t keep what you’re feeling all bottled up inside. If you do, it’ll destroy you.”

The atmosphere feels fragile as TK and Carlos look at one another, appreciating each other’s vulnerability, silently promising to take this conversation to their grave.

Carlos notices they’re still holding hands, and gives their laced fingers a gentle squeeze.

TK squeezes back before dropping their hands and moving to give Carlos a hug.

“Thank you for telling me all of that. It means a lot. And thank you for being here.”

Carlos just holds on to TK and the support he’s offering, trying to remember this feeling for later.

Now that he’s had TK in his arms, he never wants to let go.

He can't help but fear what tomorrow will bring. Will they go back to their usual routine of insulting each other every chance they get? Will this whole night be forgotten?

Eventually they separate, and Carlos lets out a wet laugh. “I think we’ve shared enough emotions for tonight.”

TK smiles, humming in agreement. “It’s getting late, we should probably head out.”

The two boys are silent as they clean up their area and walk down the hall together before separating once they reach the Gryffindor common room, saying quiet farewells.

It’s only when Carlos is in bed, sleep pulling at him, that he realizes he never finished his potions homework.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aha! we have an actual plot now!
> 
> i hope i'm not rushing things i just knew i couldn't keep them as enemies for long lmao


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for this chapter- panic attacks
> 
> hey y'all! sorry i haven't posted in a hot minute. i've been really focused on enhancing the black lives matter movement and posting about it on instagram, twitter, etc. i went to a protest today too that one of my best friends helped organize. it stayed completely peaceful, which is good.
> 
> i think it's really important to talk about what's happening in our world right now. we're literally living through history. 2020 finna be a whole ap class lmaooo
> 
> anyways please remember to educate yourself and others, donate (if you have the resources), sign petitions, and don't be afraid to have those uncomfortable conversations!!

_TK fidgets in his seat as his father’s face slowly blends with the rest of the parents waving goodbye and watches as the platform disappears from sight._

_To say TK is nervous is an understatement._

_From the moment he got his Hogwarts letter, the boy has been anxious to start the school year and has dreaded leaving his father alone._

_A shy, curious voice cuts through his thoughts, startling TK from his place by the window. “Is this seat taken?”_

_TK’s eyes go wide as he looks at the unfairly pretty boy in front of him. He’s rendered speechless by the sight in front of him; all he can do is rapidly nod._

_The boy sits down next to him with a blinding grin that makes his eyes crinkle at the corners. TK can’t stop looking at him._

_“I’m Carlos.”_

_“TK,” he whispers back timidly, unsure how to approach the stranger’s instant kindness and comfort._

_Carlos immediately dives into his own conversation, talking about the things he likes, dislikes, what he thinks Hogwarts will be like. He attempts to ask TK questions, but starts talking again before he has the chance to answer._

_It’s not like TK would be able to formulate a response anyways. He’s completely entranced by the boy in front of him, confused yet amused that he would choose to spend his first-ever journey to Hogwarts with TK in his compartment._

_TK is surprised to find that Carlos’ continuous speech is actually pretty relaxing, calming his nerves simply by the sound of his voice. No one has ever been able to have that effect on him other than his dad._

_Eventually, TK begins to open up to Carlos, easily falling into a steady banter with the other boy. The ride passes in a blur with TK smiling and laughing more than he ever has in his 11 years._

_A flurry of motion and gleeful shouts alert them to their arrival at the castle. TK and Carlos get separated in the commotion that fills the train, leaving TK to ruminate over what just happened._

_He’s never connected that quickly or effortlessly with one person, and the feelings rising in his chest scare him._

_This is the feeling his dad described when he explained how he and TK’s mom met. And look how that turned out._

_He’s too young to be feeling this much all at once. This shouldn’t be happening so quickly. It shouldn’t be happening at all._

_TK separates himself from the crowd to take a few deep breaths, reciting the breathing exercise his dad taught him like a mantra in his head. As he calms down, an idea comes to mind, although one he doesn’t really like._

_He has to keep Carlos at a distance._

_He can’t let someone get this close to him, let them control his emotions so easily._

_So in the dining hall, when Carlos meets his eyes after being sorted into Gryffindor with another one of those award-winning smiles, TK ignores the ache in his chest and shoots him a stony glare._

_He watches the light and happiness slowly drain from Carlos’ face, his previously warm and inviting eyes turning into a mixture of sadness and confusion._

_TK turns away before he has to think any deeper about what he’s just done, ignoring the pit that’s formed in his stomach. This is for the best. Keeping Carlos from getting close to him keeps them both from getting hurt. This is for the best._

_This is for the best._

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

TK anxiously bounces his knee up and down under the dining table as he pushes around his breakfast. He doesn’t exactly have an appetite right now.

“Babe, stop moving so much. It’s distracting,” Alex comments from his spot beside TK, placing a hand on his thigh to halt the movement. TK mutters an apology before reluctantly returning to his food.

Alex just tightens his hold around him as he rejoins the conversation at the table, effectively ignoring TK’s uncomfortable expression.

TK looks up in time to see Marjan, Paul, and Judd exchange quick glances with one another, conveying a silent conversation and sharing concerned expressions.

TK just rolls his eyes, shrugging off their worry. He knows his friends mean well, but he finds it hard to be honest with how he’s feeling.

Marjan is usually the one to force him to talk about his emotions, and even then it takes a lot of coaxing. She’s always saying something about not keeping his feelings to himself, that it’s unhealthy or some shit like that. It reminds him of a recent conversation he had, the main focus of his mixed thoughts.

Now that he thinks about it, Carlos and Marjan would probably get along eerily well. He decides to shove that thought as far down as possible because _no_ , he does not want to think about how Carlos would interact with his friends. Because that would mean thinking of Carlos in a friendly capacity, which he _cannot_ let happen.

The thing is, TK doesn’t exactly do well when people start to get close to him. He has a tendency to push people away when they show they care.

So the way Carlos keeps getting him to open up with barely any effort makes TK fucking _annoyed._

It makes him mad that the man has that effect on him. That he can break down his walls without a second thought to how it tampers with TK’s emotions. It’s like he can see straight through him, reading him like an open book. The way Carlos makes him feel so cared for, so seen, scares the shit out of him.

Even worse, Carlos, for some reason, felt compelled to open up about something so deep and personal to him as well. The idea that Carlos trusted him enough with his trauma makes TK feel special in a different, intimate way.

And TK hates it.

He hates that he let Carlos see even a little bit of him last night, and he hates that they felt so comfortable with one another. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. They’re rivals, sworn enemies. He made sure of it on their first day at Hogwarts.

And TK would like to keep it that way. 

However, he can’t help the feeling of excitement that rises in his chest at the thought of being friends with Carlos. It creates a feeling of nostalgia and longing for what could’ve been after that day they met. Talking to him like he did last night sparks adrenaline in his system, and he feels an unbridled desire to chase that sensation.

But after this summer he knows what it’s like to chase a high, and the ultimate result isn’t pretty.

TK sighs as he lets his gaze flit to where Carlos usually sits with his friends, surprised to find the boy’s eyes already on him, quickly looking down when he realizes he was caught.

The sight almost makes TK snort in amusement, but he refrains.

The rest of breakfast passes with his friends having quiet conversation, shooting him worried glances every now and then. He’s not surprised, considering how rambunctious he usually is around the group. These past few days, though, he’s been a little off. 

He can tell that they’re starting to notice. Of course they are. No matter how much he hates people getting close to him, his best friends never fail to recognize each others’ pain. They may tease one another constantly, but they all care deeply and fiercely. 

It’s one of many reasons he loves them so much.

Judd interrupts his thoughts before he can get too sentimental. “Ready to get our asses to the dungeons for potions?”

TK sucks in a sharp breath at the reminder of the class and the homework that still remained unfinished. 

“Shit,” he says, eyes going wide as panic begins to fill his body. TK has always prided himself in being a good student; failing the first assignment of the year wasn’t exactly ideal.

“I completely forgot about the homework,” he explains to his friends as his breathing begins to get more shallow, the start of a panic attack. He always does his work. Always. It’s the one thing he feels he’s good at, other than quidditch.

“Hey hey hey,” Judd speaks, quickly making his way over to TK’s side of the table to attempt to calm him down. “You can copy mine real quick, just rephrase it a bit. It’ll be okay.”

TK nods as Judd rubs comforting circles into his back, with Marjan and Paul sharing another look of concern before offering quiet support.

Alex turns his attention back to his boyfriend, questioning what just happened.

“Didn’t you spend the whole evening working on homework in the library?” He questions, an annoyed expression adorning his features. “There’s no need to get worked up about it.”

“I got distracted,” TK mumbles, feeling his mood plummet once more. He doesn’t miss the way Marjan’s eyebrows furrow, or how Paul and Judd seem to clench their jaws.

He knows his friends don’t exactly like Alex, but at least they tolerate him. It’s not the ideal relationship between his boyfriend and friends, but they make it work.

His focus snaps back to the forgotten homework as Judd pulls out his copy, TK quickly making work of writing a similar answer, making sure not to plagiarize. 

He’s still finishing up as they round the corner to the dungeons, letting out a relieved sigh as he writes the final sentence.

“Thank you, Judd,” he tells him with as much sincerity as he can muster.

“Of course. Anything for a brother,” Judd gives him a small smile before his expression turns more serious. “I have to say though, it’s not like you to forget to do classwork. Are you sure everything’s alright?”

TK almost laughs with the realization of how much more obvious he is with his emotions than he originally thought.

He just shrugs in response to Judd’s question, telling him he’ll explain later. Judd levels him with a knowing look, both of them fully aware that TK will avoid talking about what’s bothering him for as long as possible.

Nevertheless, Judd lets it go as they enter their potions class. TK watches as he makes his way over to the table where Grace sits, his eyes instantly lighting up when he spots his girlfriend.

A soft smile grows on his face at the interaction, happy that his friend found himself in such a loving and caring relationship.

The smile slowly fades when he realizes that he has to sit next to Carlos again, and he’s instantly filled with nerves at the idea of the impending interaction.

He reminds himself that he has to create distance between them. He can’t let Carlos see who he really is. That’s dangerous, right? To let your enemy see you at your worst? They could use it against you.

Even TK doesn’t believe himself. He huffs out a sigh as he sits next to Carlos, flashing him a half-smile but otherwise remaining silent.

Carlos doesn’t seem to catch on to his not-so-good mood at first, giving him the signature grin that seems to light up his features.

Carlos has matured a hell of a lot since their first year, no one can deny that, but TK can’t help but notice how that stupid smile has always stayed the same.

Eventually, as more students start to trickle in, Carlos catalogs the worn-out expression on TK’s face paired with his silence.

TK feels so exhausted after his near panic attack that he can’t bring himself to be rude nor kind to Carlos. Just indifferent. He feels kinda bad about it after the way Carlos spilled his guts to him last night, but it probably works just as well in getting Carlos to ignore him.

Except he doesn’t ignore him.

Instead, he regards him with an expression filled with worry and caution. “I saw you get a little worked up at breakfast, is everything alright?”

 _Of course._ Of fucking course Carlos would see him in one of his most vulnerable moments, and of course Carlos would care enough to ask him about how he’s feeling. TK is starting to learn that it’s just a part of who he is.

Despite everything that happened the previous day, it still throws TK off guard to have Carlos being so nice to him after five years filled with witty remarks and throwing insults at one another.

Before he can think about what he’s doing, TK softly shakes his head no, quickly following the action with a quiet, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Carlos just nods his head in understanding. “Well I’m here if you change your mind.”

All at once, TK is filled with a rush of emotions. He feels overwhelmed with the amount of care and concern he’s received this morning; it makes him want to go back to his dormitory and cry and sleep the day away. Since he can’t do that, he channels his conflicting emotions into what he does best: anger.

“I think I’ll pass,” he snaps.

Carlos just sighs and shakes his head, instantly releasing a pool of guilt in TK’s conscience. That’s new. There have been moments where he’s felt the slightest regret after taking it too far with Carlos, but never this all-consuming guilt.

“Sorry,” he whispers, “Thanks for the offer.”

Carlos nods once again before turning to face the front of the classroom, where their professor has started speaking. TK can’t help but notice that he still has a look of worry mixed with hurt in his expression, and he can’t help the ache that rises in his chest at the thought of being the one to cause it.

The class period proceeds with both of the boys being mostly lost in their thoughts, only communicating when necessary. And even though they barely talk, their potion still ends up being the best one out of all of the pairs.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

TK is the last one to enter the Slytherin common room out of his friend group, plopping down next to Alex on the couch and immediately leaning into his side.

Mere seconds after he sits down, Alex removes himself from TK’s embrace, standing up abruptly. “Sorry, babe. I promised Mitchell I’d help him on our potions homework.”

TK frowns as Alex places a light kiss to his forehead, heading up the stairs to the boys’ rooms. He catches his friends glaring at Alex’s back, a firm scowl on Marjan’s face.

“He’s really not that bad, guys.”

Paul and Judd let out simultaneous noises of disapproval while Marjan scoffs at his statement before her features turn soft as she meets his eyes. “We just want you to be happy, TK.”

He gives her a weak smile in return. “I know,” he speaks, his voice barely above a whisper. This day has absolutely exhausted him.

The four sit in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Judd speaks up. “So, you wanna tell us what was going through your mind this morning?”

TK’s eyes widen before he quickly schools his features, although he knows his friends caught his momentary panic. 

“Nope,” he says casually, popping the ‘p’ at the end.

“TK,” Paul sighs, exasperated. “You know we won’t force you to talk about anything you don’t want to, but we can’t act like you’ve been completely fine these past few days. Ever since we’ve been back you just seem...I don’t know. Not yourself?” 

Paul looks to Marjan and Judd for help. Seeing them nod in agreement with his statement, he continues with his little speech.

“I’m just worried about you. We all are. Hell, even Carlos seems concerned. He came over to our dining table last night during dinner to ask about you. The guy has balls, I’ll give him that.”

TK feels his jaw drop the slightest bit at what Paul is saying. “Reyes did _what_?”

“It’s true. He walked over all mucho-like. It was funny. But also kinda sweet,” Marjan answers, smirking. Paul and Judd are also looking at him as if they know something he doesn’t.

TK feels dizzy at the new information and the implications his friends are making. He doesn’t want to think about it. He also doesn’t want to think about the warm feeling in his chest when he thinks of Carlos going as far as to approach the Slytherin table to ask his friends about his well-being. He shakes his head to try and get rid of the barrage of thoughts plaguing his mind, standing up forcefully as he does so.

“I don’t need an intervention, or whatever this is,” he says, gesturing wildly with his hands. “I just need space. Please. I might be ready to talk about my shitty summer later, but definitely not now. Not yet.” 

TK’s voice turns pleading as he tries to get his friends to understand his anxious state. He scans his friends faces, seeing guilt, sadness, and understanding written in their faces.

“I’m sorry we pushed you, TK. We didn’t mean to. We just want you to know that we love you and are here for you no matter what, yeah?” Judd claps him on the shoulder as he speaks the words, his voice gruff.

Marjan and Paul join him next to Judd, and TK finally breaks down as his friends envelope him in a group hug, sinking down onto the couch. He lets out all of the tears of frustration, anger, and confusion he’s felt lately. His friends offer constant sources of comfort; rubbing his back, whispering reassurances, letting TK grip them as tight and as long as he needs to.

Between his panic attack and breakdown, TK falls asleep effortlessly, Marjan’s arms around him as she combs her hands through his hair.

After TK is dead to the world, Marjan, Paul, and Judd share quiet conversation before eventually heading to bed themselves, temporarily rousing TK to get him to his room.

That night, TK dreams of a familiar bright smile and infectious laughter, his friend’s earlier words lingering in his mind.

_He came over to our dining table last night during dinner to ask about you._

_It was funny. But also kind of sweet._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tk my bby :( 
> 
> this chapter was mainly diving into tk's thoughts and feelings and showing some appreciation for his lovely friends <3
> 
> also tk's anxiety over his schoolwork was largely inspired by yours truly ahaha yknow that feeling where everything is building up and then school is just the last straw? yeah ANYWAYS 
> 
> i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter i think i finally have a clear outline of where i want each chapter to go and i'm thinking there will be 10ish?? idk but i'm hoping to write more soon so stick with me pls


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my goal was to have this up for rafa's birthday...oops. anyways here's this as a belated celebration. 
> 
> sorry it took me nearly two weeks to upload this, but it's the longest chapter so far! enjoy :)

The next few weeks pass with relative calmness. TK and Carlos continue to work together in potions in a somewhat amicable silence, with each of them making off-handed jokes or comments every now and then.

At one point Carlos even gets a full smile and hearty laugh at one of his dumb puns; it makes him proud of himself. He wants to see TK that happy all the time, and he wants to be the source of that happiness.

He notices that TK is gradually getting better than he seemed to be their first few days back, but Carlos can tell that it’ll take some time to fully heal from whatever had him so broken in the first place.

“Carlos, don’t you have to leave soon?” Michelle nudges him from her place by his side on the common room couch.

They had been working on their homework, but Carlos found his mind preoccupied by a certain pair of green eyes. TK wasn’t the only thing on his mind, though. Gryffindor’s first quidditch practice was today, and Carlos was practically bouncing with excitement.

Quidditch was his safe place, and he always felt the most at home forty feet above ground on a broomstick. Something about the wind in his face and having some semblance of control allowed him to let go. Quidditch let him forget about his problems and focus on one thing: getting that snitch and fucking _winning._

Carlos loved winning; he loved any challenge that was thrown his way. That’s part of the reason he fell for TK so easily, even if he didn’t mean to. TK was constantly pushing his limits and testing his boundaries. Their never-ending back and forth was a way for Carlos to be challenged on a daily basis, and he loved how TK never backed down, even if he went too far sometimes.

Michelle smirks at his silence, and Carlos knows he must have some sort of lovesick expression on his face again.

“There it is. That smile,” Michelle voices after meeting Carlos’ eyes.

He expected some teasing from his best friend, but now he’s just confused. “What smile?”

“Your TK smile,” Michelle says it as if it’s the most obvious answer in the world. “Whenever you’re thinking about him or talking about him you get this little grin,” she says, waving her hands in the direction of his face. “Since you’re thinking or talking about him pretty much all the time, it’s not that hard to pick up on.”

Carlos groans and runs his hands through his hair, feeling his cheeks heat in embarrassment. “Am I really that obvious?”

“Oh honey,” Michelle gives him a pitying look that makes Carlos feel like a child. “Anyone with eyes can see you don’t actually hate TK. We all know how much you care about him.”

Seeing Carlos’ eyes widen with panic, Michelle rushes to reassure him. “Don’t worry too much. TK may be booksmart, but the boy is as dumb as a rock when it comes to your feelings for him. You have nothing to be concerned about.”

Carlos gives a half-nod in response, still not fully convinced. He thinks back to his recent interactions with TK, trying to remember if there were any moments where he may have let his true emotions shine through.

The only thing he can think of is when he started asking TK daily if he was okay as a way to check up on him. Even then, Carlos would like to think he’d do that for anyone who was going through a tough time.

But TK wasn’t just anyone.

“See! There it is! The TK smile!” Michelle grins as if she’s just won the world’s biggest prize by proving her point.

Carlos rolls his eyes in response, gathering up his schoolwork. “I really should get going. Don’t want to be late to the first practice.”

“Who’s the captain this year? No one’s ever been that picky about tardiness. Especially with you. You _are_ their most valued player after all,” Michelle winks.

Carlos scoffs. “I’m not _that_ important. And Buck’s the new captain. He’s a great guy, but when he found out last year that he was gonna be in charge he got all cocky. I have a feeling he’s gonna love bossing us all around,” Carlos explains with a fond smile.

Him and Buck have been teammates since their first year, and have grown a sort of brotherly connection. They don’t talk much off the pitch, though.

Michelle lets out a loud snort at his response. “Please. Ever since Buck started dating Eddie they haven’t been able to keep their hands off of each other. They’ll be too busy canoodling to notice if you’re late.”

Carlos just laughs before bidding Michelle farewell, dropping off his bag in his room and getting ready for practice. 

As he heads down to the pitch, he feels his earlier excitement return in full force. He missed this sport so much. He can’t wait to get back into the competitive atmosphere.

That competitive atmosphere returns sooner than expected when Carlos steps foot into the stadium. He’s not met with Buck and Eddie ‘canoodling,’ or whatever Michelle suggested, but instead with his team across from the Slytherin players. 

The tension is palpable as Buck glares at Marjan, who’s yelling at him. Carlos begins to make out some of her words as he nears.

“ _We_ booked the pitch for this time slot! Not you! You have no right to be here during our private practice. Get your team and _leave_.” Carlos lets his eyes wander, taking in the situation. 

His eyes meet TK’s, and Carlos raises his eyebrows in question. TK just shrugs. Marjan Marwani is not a force to be reckoned with, especially when she’s mad.

Buck either doesn’t get this memo or is too angry to care, because he responds with an equal amount of venom and sass.

“Clearly there was some sort of mistake. You see, _we_ have the pitch right now. Gryffindor has practiced at the same time on the same days of the week for _years_.”

Marjan clenches her jaw as she fires back at him. “Yes, but that changed when we talked to the headmaster about plans for _this_ year. You don’t practice at the same time anymore. Maybe if you Gryffindors actually listened for once, you’d get shit right,” she says, fuming.

Carlos can tell that Buck is trying his best to hold himself back, growling in frustration. Before he can say anything he’ll regret, Eddie places a hand on his shoulder, telling him to calm down.

Buck practically melts at the touch, releasing some of the pressure he was obviously feeling. He takes a deep breath before facing Marjan once again with a more civil approach.

“Listen, Marwani,” he starts, his voice at a normal cadence, “I think we can agree that neither of us are that fond of this whole dilemma. We can figure out the logistics later, but since both of our teams are here, can we please just split the pitch for today?”

Marjan lets out a loud groan, but nevertheless turns to consult her team. The majority seem fine with the idea, giving nonchalant shrugs in response, but the Slytherin captain double checks with her best friend and seeker for confirmation. “TK? You okay with this?”

“I’ve had to deal with Reyes for over five years now. I think we’ll be fine for another couple of hours,” he throws a smirk his way, eyes glinting with mischief. Carlos can’t help but notice that his voice is more teasing than it usually is, lacking the menacing tone.

This detail seems to slip by both of the teams, with Marjan reluctantly accepting Buck’s proposal. However, as he moves to warm up, Carlos catches Paul’s gaze drifting from him to TK, a curious yet knowing look in his expression.

When Paul realizes he’s been caught, he just gives Carlos a small smile and a single nod. The action confuses Carlos more than anything else, but he tries to forget about it and the possible meaning behind it as he gives him a nod in return.

He trains his focus back on Buck as he starts talking about what he has in mind for practice. Once they break their little huddle, Carlos helps their keeper with some drills before going off to do his own training. As the team’s seeker, there’s not much he can do with the rest of the group.

Out of the corner of his eye, Carlos can see TK practicing different diving techniques and decides to do the same.

He easily falls into the old habit of the dangerous yet exhilarating plummets, adding skilled twists and turns that usually confuse his opponents.

From experience, though, his sudden moves never seem to mystify TK Strand. It makes their rivalry even more fierce. Carlos and TK can make out each other’s game plans within seconds and figure out whatever tricks the other has up their sleeve.

Matches between Gryffindor and Slytherin have become highly anticipated not only because of the infamous competition between the houses, but also due to the tension between TK and Carlos. No one knows what’s going to happen next with the two seekers, and it only elevates the excitement of the game.

Suddenly, a loud voice brimming with curiosity and amusement cuts through his thoughts. “You copying me, Reyes?”

Carlos flies up to where TK is hovering, meeting him on the same level. “Don’t flatter yourself, Strand.”

“Too late,” he replies with a cheeky grin. “Since you’re so keen on following my lead, you wanna race?” TK meets his eyes with a cunning look, daring him to take the bait.

Carlos wants to say no. He really does. He knows he should be focusing on practice, not fraternizing with the enemy. But Carlos has never been able to resist a challenge from TK Strand.

“Twice around the pitch, loser has to handle the flobberworm mucus in potions next time we use it.”

Carlos doesn’t wait for TK’s response as he takes off, laughing at TK’s protests behind him. It doesn’t take long for TK to catch up, both of them neck and neck for the majority of the race. In the end, Carlos pulls ahead by a couple of feet, letting out a whoop of victory as he turns to face his opponent.

He’s met with a sweaty, out of breath TK, and the man has the audacity to _pout_ at him. It’s ridiculously adorable, and Carlos feels his heart rate pick up, not just from the physical activity.

“You cheated,” his pout deepens, and Carlos can’t help the grin that grows on his face.

“Someone’s a sore loser,” he responds, teasing.

TK huffs out a breath of frustration. “But I’m right! You started before I was ready,” he whines, his petulant voice only amusing Carlos further.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Strand.”

When TK starts muttering something under his breath about ‘ _fucking flobberworm mucus_ ,’ Carlos finally lets out the laughter he was barely holding in. TK’s grumpy expression slowly turns into a smile at the noise, eventually joining the other man, both of them dissolving into giggles.

When they both begin to calm down, a soft smile settles on Carlos’ face. He rarely gets to see TK like this: a wide grin with mirth dancing in his eyes, seemingly carefree, with his cheeks flushed from exhilaration and laughter. He looks genuinely happy for the first time since they got back to Hogwarts.

Carlos always thinks that TK looks good, but he loves seeing him this happy. The thought of being the cause of TK’s current mood fills Carlos with warmth and unbridled love for the man in front of him. 

As he meets the gaze of the subject of his thoughts, he finds TK looking at him with a certain softness in his eyes that Carlos has only seen a couple times before, one of which being the night of their little rendezvous to the kitchens. 

It still surprises him, sometimes, how many different versions of TK there are. He’s seen him angry more times than he can count, he’s seen him happy (though usually from afar), and now he’s starting to get glimpses into a more vulnerable version of the man he’s come to love.

Carlos is beginning to learn that there are more layers to TK Strand than he originally thought, and he wants to know every single one of them.

He doesn’t realize how long they’ve been hovering in the air just looking at each other until Marjan snaps them out of whatever moment they were having, if it could even be called that.

“Hey lovebirds,” she yells from the ground, “if you’re done flirting, you can come down now! Practice is over. ”

Carlos feels his throat go dry and practically chokes on air at Marjan’s words, coughing a couple times to try and clear the awkward silence that has fallen over them. TK’s eyes are wide and his cheeks have turned a pretty shade of red, though Carlos figures he’s probably still overworked from their race. 

Either way, it’s cute when TK’s embarrassed, and Carlos’ fondness only grows when TK shoots him a quick smile with a nervous chuckle before shooting down to land next to Marjan. Carlos just shakes his head before following him.

Luckily, the only other person on the pitch at the time of Marjan’s teasing was Buck, so Carlos just has to avoid his questioning and then try his best to forget about what the Slytherin captain said. He wants to pin it down to some light and unharmful teasing, but Carlos can’t help but feel like there was some meaning behind her words, that she can see what he’s feeling.

Nevertheless, Carlos enjoyed practice today. It was combining two of his favorite things: quidditch, and TK. Usually, the combination means heightened nerves and anticipation with a good amount of hostility thrown in there as well. Today, it only brought him a kind of joy he’s rarely felt, not even with his friends. He craves the feeling he gets when he’s with TK.

Buck is smirking as Carlos walks towards him, and he already dreads their conversation. “You looked like you were having fun up there,” he starts with a cheeky grin.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Carlos rolls his eyes as he approaches the captain.

“You’ve got this little smile on your face, it’s so precious,” Buck teases with a pout, his words bringing flashbacks of his conversation with Michelle to mind. He can’t help but let out a humorless laugh at the connection. Maybe he does have a TK smile.

“Michelle can never know about this,” he tells Buck, already knowing that he would be hit with a massive wave of teasing if his friends were aware. Buck mimes zipping his lips, even though it’s obvious he’s holding back a laugh.

Buck continues to mock him and his interaction with TK as they make their way back to the locker room, but shuts up as they come within hearing distance of their teammates.

Buck stops for a second before they reach the dwindling group, causing Carlos to do the same. His expression turns serious as he speaks lowly to Carlos. 

“I know I tease you a lot, but I’m here for you if you ever wanna talk, okay? I can tell you care about him, and you need to do something about it. Things have the chance of turning out so much better if you do,” he finishes, locking his gaze on his boyfriend in the far corner of the changing room, his eyes turning soft.

Carlos just nods before gathering his stuff and leaving for the Gryffindor common room, not bothering to change. 

The idea that he could have so much with TK but just _can’t_ for so many reasons hurts more than anything. TK has a boyfriend, and even if he didn’t he would never, in a million years, like Carlos in that way.

But Carlos can’t help how he seems to be drawn to the Slytherin. He’s known from the first time they made eye contact on that train that TK would have a special impact on his life, and he was right. 

TK, with his stupid eyes and stupid smile and stupid laugh. TK, with his confident demeanor and constant curiosity. TK, who never backs down from a fight. TK, who is the most stubborn person he’s ever met, yet it’s part of what makes him so charming.

TK, who he’s stupidly in love with.

Carlos lets out a frustrated sigh. He just wants to bring his dinner to his room and eat all of his feelings. He tells his friends exactly that when he finds them lounging in the Gryffindor common room, talking amongst themselves.

Mateo furrows his eyebrows at Carlos’ resigned attitude as Michelle and Grace exchange a glance with one another. 

“What happened? You usually come back from practice and can’t stop talking about how good it was,” Mateo inquires, a confused look on his face.

“I’m going to go get changed,” Carlos grumbles, ignoring Mateo's question.

When he returns, it’s obvious his friends have discussed his bad mood. Grace pats the empty space next to her, motioning for him to sit on the couch next to her.

“Mateo went to go get us some dinner. He’ll be back soon,” she says quietly. They wait for a few minutes in silence as they wait for the boy's return, and eventually he stumbles through the door, arms laden with food.

As he sets everything down, Carlos notices that they have the common room to themselves, seeing as almost everyone has already departed to the dining hall for dinner. Carlos can tell that his friends are going to seize this opportunity of alone time before the words are even out of Grace’s mouth.

“I met up with Judd after his quidditch practice, which, _apparently_ , was also your quidditch practice. He said that you and TK seemed pretty friendly on the pitch.” Her voice is soft, but he can sense the burning curiosity behind it.

When Carlos remains silent, Michelle continues. “You didn’t have your TK smile when you walked in,” she says teasingly, attempting to lighten up the conversation. She smiles when Carlos makes a face at the words.

“What’s wrong, Carlos?” Michelle’s tone turns more somber, but is still filled with love and care for her best friend.

Carlos is quiet as he tries to figure out what to say. He’s an open book when it comes to his friends; he can never find it in himself to hide anything from them. He knows they’re aware of his crush on TK, but how is he supposed to explain the constant heartache he feels at not being able to have him?

“I really, really like him,” Carlos whispers. Better to start with the truth, he figures.

“We know that part, but why are you sad?” Mateo asks, unaware of the weight of the conversation.

Carlos lets out a laugh at Mateo’s oblivion, while Grace and Michelle shoot him identical glares, though small smiles break out on their faces too.

Carlos feels a renewed sense of affection and love for his friends as he looks at them, their expressions holding nothing but care, even as they stuff their faces with the food Mateo brought. They’ll always be there for him, no matter what, and for that he is one of the luckiest people.

“I really like him,” he repeats, “but I know I need to get over him, and that hurts. TK will never like me like that, and I need to suck it up and get over it. The problem is, I don’t think I ever will.”

Carlos rubs his hands over his face before risking a glance up at his friends. They’re all wearing looks of pity, but they each seem to be hesitant, like they know something he doesn’t.

“Okay, what is it? Everyone keeps looking at me like that, and it’s not just you three, so please tell me what’s going on.”

Michelle, Grace, and Mateo exchange glances, having a silent conversation, and Carlos might just explode if they don’t start talking.

“Okay, okay,” Michelle says, noticing his frustration. “It’s just...we don’t really think TK hates you as much as you think he does. At least, not anymore.”

Carlos makes a face of confusion as he processes Michelle’s words. Before he can fully understand what she said, Mateo continues. “He’s changed a lot these last few weeks. It’s like he’s a new person.”

Carlos knows TK has been different this school year, but he never doubted the other man’s hatred for him, not for a second. Sure, he had his more vulnerable and happy moments, but that didn’t affect TK’s distaste for him. 

Carlos shakes his head at his friends. “Just because TK has grown as an individual doesn’t mean he’s changed how he feels about me. TK Strand has and always will hate me.” His voice turns sad at the end with the realization of how true his words are.

However, the look on Grace’s face suggests otherwise. The girl has remained silent for the better part of the conversation, save for her facial expressions and the one comment she made to jumpstart this whole thing. As Grace opens her mouth to speak, Carlos feels a combination of anxiety and hope fill his stomach.

“Carlos...Judd has been one of TK’s closest friends since our first year here. He knows that boy inside and out, even if it doesn’t seem like it. Judd has had a front row seat to TK’s growth over these past few weeks, and he’s grown so much in such a short period of time. Trust me when I say that his improvement is in part to opening up to you.” 

Carlos feels his heart stutter at Grace’s passion and sureness in her words. Before he can say anything, she keeps going.

“Judd tells me every detail about his friends that he can without spilling any secrets, but I take it into my own hands to interpret what he says. And if what he’s said about TK and how he acts around you is anything to go by, I’m confident in the fact that TK doesn’t hate you. I actually think he genuinely likes spending time with you. He’s changed a lot, Carlos, and that includes how he feels about you.”

Carlos is frozen with shock, but his heart seems to have other plans as it nearly beats out of his chest. He feels dizzy with everything Grace just shared, the confidence in her voice only shaking him further to his core.

The idea that TK actually likes him in some capacity, even if it’s not romantically, fills Carlos with pure want for a positive relationship with the other boy.

He’s always been confused by TK’s sudden change in opinion when they first met. After that first train ride together, Carlos was sure that they’d be the best of friends. When TK flipped from friendly to hostile in a matter of minutes, it wounded Carlos more than he thought it would. 

Nevertheless, he took the challenge in stride. He’d rather have an adverse relationship with TK than no relationship at all.

Carlos still feels dazed by the onslaught of new information as he regains his focus on his friends in front of him, looking at him with worry.

“I need some air,” he manages to get out before quickly standing. He grabs a piece of bread to go as he rushes away from his friends, ignoring their attempts at getting him to stay and talk.

He needs to work out the war of emotions happening in his head right now, and he needs to do it alone. He stuffs the slice of bread in his mouth as he makes his way out the front gates of the castle and towards the path around the lake.

The evening autumn breeze rustles around him, and he shivers. He really should’ve brought a jacket. When he got changed into a t-shirt and jeans, though, he wasn’t exactly planning on taking a stroll on the chilly grounds.

Just as he begins to organize his thoughts and calm down a bit, he recognizes a familiar figure in the distance. It’s TK, going in the opposite direction and heading his way. 

Carlos groans as he weighs his options. He could turn around and head back, acting like he never saw TK, or he could keep going and walk directly towards the man that’s causing the current chaos in his mind.

He keeps walking. It’s not like he’s ever been able to resist TK, anyway.

TK stops when they come within a few feet of each other, his expression like a deer in headlights. Carlos mirrors his actions, but has a more controlled facial reaction, schooling his features into one of indifference.

“Strand,” he greets. TK is still looking at him with hesitation, as if he’s an animal that startles easily. 

The other boy eventually nods, seemingly breaking out of his stupor. “Reyes.”

Carlos starts walking again, already trying to forget the awkward interaction, but before he can pass him TK speaks suddenly.

“Would you want to…” TK bites his lip as he considers whether he should continue or not. Carlos smiles softly at the action. His nervousness is endearing, and it’s a stark contrast from the boy he’s come to know in the past five years.

Eventually, TK completes his question, the words spilling out in a rush. “Would you want to take a walk with me?”

Carlos raises his eyebrows in disbelief, and TK starts talking again at his reaction. “I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to...of course you don’t want to, why would you want to? God, forget everything I just said,” TK blushes and looks down at his feet as he talks.

Carlos cuts off his rambling before TK can dig any deeper in his self-doubt. “Strand, I’d love to walk with you.”

TK snaps his head up, surprise written in his features for a split second before it’s replaced with a more neutral expression.

The two turn to walk in the direction Carlos was initially heading, away from the castle. Both boys are silent for a few minutes, and Carlos is pleased to discover that it’s actually a pretty comfortable silence. 

In the past, their silences have always been filled with angry or awkward tension as they seethed at one another. These past few weeks, though, that silence has evolved into something more safe, more familiar. It makes Carlos proud to think about how far they’ve come in such little time. 

The thought takes him back to Grace’s earlier comments and his reason for escaping in the first place. With a start, he realizes that TK should be in the dining hall.

“Shouldn’t you be at dinner right now?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” TK rolls his eyes, but there’s no heat behind it.

Carlos shrugs. “Didn’t have a huge appetite. But I’m not taking you to the kitchens this time if you get hungry. Those house elves are gonna start hating me if I call in anymore favors,” he warns, a teasing lilt to his voice. 

TK lets out a short laugh. “How many pretty boys do you bring to the kitchens, Reyes?” 

TK’s eyes are dancing with amusement as his words make a faint blush rise to Carlos’ cheeks. He quickly recovers, shooting back, “Only you, Strand. No need to worry.”

“Who said I was worried?” TK sticks out his tongue when Carlos sends a glare his way, making them both smile. This easy banter is what Carlos longs for. They’ve always had it, but rarely used it to their advantage.

They fall back into relative silence, the only sounds being their feet on the ground and the quiet hum of the night air around them. Carlos revels in the way that his mood has already increased tenfold simply by being in TK’s presence.

The latter pipes up again a few minutes later. “You looked pretty good out on the pitch today. We’re gonna beat the hell out of you guys, but still,” he smirks as he glances over at Carlos.

Carlos scoffs. “We’ll see about that. And you better watch out there, Strand, it almost sounded like you were complimenting me,” Carlos exaggerates the last part of the sentence, making it more dramatic.

TK shakes his head at his antics, a smile on his face. “Not a compliment, just stating facts.”

Carlos hums in response. “But wouldn’t me beating you today mean I have a better chance at catching the snitch?” He snickers as he catches the annoyed look TK gives him.

“ _No_. I’ve beat you plenty of times before, Reyes. And I still want a rematch; you definitely cheated earlier.” The pout is back in full force, and Carlos is practically putty as he looks at him.

“Whatever you say,” he grins, his nonchalance only agitating TK further.

TK lets out an indignant huff as he turns away from him, though they’re still walking side by side. There’s mere inches between them as they drift towards one another, and Carlos is acutely aware of TK’s warmth. At the reminder of the cold weather, Carlos shivers again, catching TK’s attention.

“Are you cold? You can have my hoodie, I have a long sleeve shirt underneath,” TK offers with wide eyes, seemingly upset at not noticing Carlos’ discomfort before now.

Carlos vehemently shakes his head, even as TK takes off his jacket and continues to insist on Carlos accepting his offer.

But when TK is looking at him like _that_ as he holds out his hoodie, Carlos can’t help but to take it. When he slips on the garment, he’s immediately immersed in TK’s scent and the warmth of the material. He lets out an involuntary sigh and closes his eyes.

“Better?” He opens his eyes to find TK giving him a soft smile. There’s something else in TK’s gaze that he can’t put his finger on, and it bothers him.

He brushes off his thoughts as he nods at the boy. “Thank you,” he says quietly.

“It’s what friends are for, right?”

Carlos turns his head to look at TK in amazement. The Slytherin looks slightly apprehensive, but is giving him a questioning yet hopeful look.

“Is that what we are? Friends,” Carlos questions softly. His heart is beating wildly at the implications of this conversation. The five years of insults aren’t going to automatically go away, but this is progress. He never expected to be in this situation.

“If that’s what you want,” TK looks down at his feet. 

“Yeah,” Carlos responds with wonder in his voice. “Yeah, that’s what I want,” he repeats with more confidence in his answer.

“Good,” TK smiles at him. “It’s what I want too.”

The two boys stare at each other for a few seconds with matching goofy grins before looking away, blushes threatening to rise.

“I’m sorry for all the shit I’ve said, by the way. I haven’t exactly been the nicest person to you these past few years,” TK admits sheepishly.

“I’m sorry too,” Carlos apologizes. “I think we can both agree that we haven’t been the best to each other.”

TK murmurs in agreement, and Carlos is once again stunned by this turn of events. He can’t say he’s upset about it, though. 

Carlos wraps his arms around himself, attempting to burrow himself further into TK’s hoodie. It's beyond comfortable, but that’s probably just because of the person who owns it.

Carlos bumps his shoulder with TK’s as he pesters him once again. “Now that we’re friends, do I get to know what TK stands for?”

“No,” he says firmly, bumping Carlos’ shoulder back, “Only three people in the world know my full name: my mom, my dad, and me. That’s not gonna change anytime soon, so don’t get your hopes up.”

Carlos whips out the best puppy eyes he can muster, pouting his lips as he pleads. “Please,” he draws out the word.

“Nope,” TK answers, matching Carlos’ drawl as a way to mock him, but he has nothing but affection in his eyes.

Carlos can’t help the next question that slips out without him meaning to. “Not even Alex knows?”

The amused, happy expression TK held before drops for a split second at the mention of his boyfriend, but soon returns, albeit seeming more forced.

“Nah,” he says, the words coming out tightly.

TK’s reaction has Carlos confused. He knows Alex isn’t a good boyfriend, but until now he believed that TK was unaware of that fact. He is dating him, after all.

“I’m sorry, I feel like I overstepped or something,” Carlos gets out uneasily.

“Don’t apologize,” TK sighs. “I love Alex, he’s just been a little distant lately. It’s fine, we’ll be fine soon enough. We always are,” he says with a small smile.

Carlos gives him the best grin he can in response, but it probably looks more like a grimace. Hearing TK talk about his boyfriend in a way that minimizes the toxic traits of the other boy sets a fire alight in Carlos.

“I don’t mean to intrude on your relationship or anything, but shouldn’t Alex try a little harder? You deserve someone who’s always willing to give you attention, not just when they feel like it.”

Carlos expects TK to jump to Alex’s defense like he usually does, but when he looks up, TK is looking at him like he’s a code he can’t decipher.

“You sound like my friends,” TK mumbles. Carlos is glad he’s not the only one who feels the need to protect TK from Alex, but it only increases his wonder as to why they’re still together.

As if he can read his mind, TK speaks again. “Ever since we started dating, Alex has been a constant in my life, even when things get crazy. It’s nice having someone to fall back on, even if he’s not always there. He gives me a sense of security for my future,” he shrugs.

Carlos feels his heart pinch at the words he’s hearing. TK loves Alex enough to see a future with him, and is ignoring the absence of love in return. TK is so set on having Alex as a source of reassurance that he’s overlooking the parts of the man that take away little bits of his happiness.

Carlos desperately wants to point all of it out, how toxic their relationship is, but decides against it. It’s not his place to do so. All he can do is hope that TK recognizes their issues and is able to fix it somehow.

Hogwarts comes back into view as they finish their lap around the lake, and TK still has a pensive look on his face. Carlos can tell he’s deep in thought, and he doesn’t want to disturb him.

Carlos barely holds himself back from smoothing out the wrinkles on TK's forehead from his furrowed brows, feeling guilty at the thought that he may have ruined the good mood they had going.

They slowly make their way back up to the gates, darkness surrounding them as the night settles in. Suddenly, TK snaps his head up, looking at Carlos.

“Tyler Kennedy,” he says confidently, a small grin growing on his face at Carlos' confused expression.

He’s taken aback at the abrupt reveal, but his eyes quickly widen at the realization of what TK just said. “Holy shit,” he responds, a wide smile on his face as his eyes light up with joy. “I love that.”

TK rolls his eyes. “Don’t try and make it better. You can never, _ever_ tell anyone that, and never use it in public or I swear I’ll spell your balls off.”

Carlos laughs as he raises his pinky between them as they come to a stop just outside of the castle doors. "I pinky promise."

TK links his pinky with his own, sealing the swear while letting out his own huff of amusement. As they let go, Carlos can still feel the electricity from TK’s touch, despite it only being there for a second.

“Thank you for trusting me with that...Tyler,” Carlos can’t help the wicked grin that overtakes his face as TK scowls at him.

“I have the feeling I’m gonna regret this,” he groans.

“I’ll make sure of it,” Carlos confirms smugly. He keeps glancing at TK as they make their way to their respective houses, admiring the Slytherin.

He is so completely head over heels for TK Strand, and tonight only proved that further. He’s helpless against the butterflies that rise in his stomach every time they make eye contact. Then, when TK looks at him like the way he did earlier, with soft eyes and an abundance of affection, he can feel himself melt. 

He’s still thinking about the other boy as he crawls into bed, snuggling into the hoodie he’s wearing. His sleep muddled brain processes that it’s TK’s, that he forgot to give it back. He makes a note to himself to return it tomorrow. 

For now, he breathes in TK’s comforting scent, falling into the best sleep he’s had in ages.

God, he is _so_ fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah! look at that! a buddie cameo! 
> 
> i genuinely hate this chapter bc i had to literally force myself to write it lmaooo but really i'm sorry if this is shitty i swear i'm trying my best
> 
> i'd also like to sincerely apologize for slacking so much on this story i love it so so much but it's been super hard for me to find motivation lately :(
> 
> anyways we're halfway done already!! whew! five more chapters hell ye


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for this chapter- emotional abuse
> 
> hiii guys i didn't think i'd finish this chapter tonight but it's super late and im tired so enjoy
> 
> also sorry if this all seems like...rushed. but i knew i couldn't have tk and carlos as enemies for long lol

Christmas at Hogwarts was nothing less than a spectacle. Starting December 1st, the grounds were decorated in a plethora of holiday decorations, ice crystals spelled in the Great Hall along with a looming tree adorned with ornaments and tinsel galore. 

The gorgeous embellishments paired with the anticipation of the upcoming winter break instilled a sense of holiday spirit in the students, especially TK.

The boy was feeling better than ever; it was as if this past summer and the mood that resulted from it at the beginning of the school year had never happened.

It had, though, and TK would never forget no matter how much he wanted to. His summer involved weeks of pawning drugs off the streets and obtaining blissful highs to just forget, forget, forget. That wouldn’t just go away.

He still had his tough moments where his lingering addiction caused some struggles, and his bad memories did nothing to quell his anxiety and the spirals he seemed drawn into.

But he was getting better. He ended up telling his friends about the cause of his weird behavior, albeit leaving out some of the more intense details. Finally saying it aloud and receiving such overwhelming love and support went lengths in helping him recover.

He can also trace his recent happiness to the newfound friendship that he and Carlos have developed. Ever since their late-night walk a couple months ago, TK and Carlos have been more in sync than ever.

They barely snap at one another, and if they do then they immediately apologize, citing bad habits. The two are learning to break the whole enemy dynamic they used to have, and it’s taken some adjusting.

Nevertheless, they both agree that they work a lot better as friends. They constantly come out of potions with the highest marks and the biggest smiles after banting with each other the whole class period.

TK has begun to look forward to the class simply because he gets to be in Carlos’ presence. The other man has become a source of comfort for TK without him even meaning to. A feeling of warmth and an automatic grin comes to his face at the mere sight of him.

The surge of affection he gets and the way his stomach seems to flip while talking to Carlos begins to worry TK, but he tries to push it to the back of his mind. He can enjoy being with Carlos without wanting anything more. Besides, TK has a boyfriend.

TK can feel Alex’s eyes searing holes into his back as he mixes the potion they’ve almost finished making. 

“Your boyfriend’s staring at you, Strand,” Carlos murmurs under his breath.

“I’m aware, Reyes,” TK says, matching his volume. “Though I think glaring is more accurate. He’s like a little snake, watching my every move,” he whispers.

Carlos lets out a snort of laughter at his comment, causing TK’s lips to curve upwards. He doesn’t know why he held Carlos at arms’ length for so long; the Gryffindor never fails to cheer him up.

“I don’t know what I did wrong this time,” he continues, rolling his eyes. “It’s always something, but I can never figure out what until he tells me. It’s a fun game to play, really,” he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

TK has also discovered that his mouth seems to have a mind of its own around Carlos. He can never stop himself from talking about how he’s truly feeling, or spilling the tiniest details about his life that he never intended to share.

It was annoying at first, and still is at times, but Carlos’ listening skills and amazing advice has made him more comfortable with it. Carlos always speaks to him with honesty through and through, and it’s become just another one of the things TK admires about him.

This honesty seeps through his next words as a frown deepens on Carlos’ face. “I don’t think you did anything wrong. I think he’s blowing things out of proportion again, like when he got mad at you for sitting in a different spot than usual,” he says bitterly.

TK shrugs in response, muttering about how it’s nothing. If there’s anything TK has learned in the past couple months, it is that Carlos does _not_ like Alex. It’s something he shares in common with TK’s friends, and he’s surprised they haven’t convened to plot against his boyfriend yet.

The thing is, TK is actually starting to realize that Alex isn’t the best for him. But he has this magnetic pull to him, and TK can’t seem to let go. Alex is his future, and nothing will change that. He loves him, even though all of his friends hate him. They don’t understand the complicated dance he’s found himself in: doing anything to please the man he loves, even if he hurts himself in the process.

Carlos seems like he wants to say more, but holds himself back. They pour their now finished potion into a vial, labeling it with their names before turning it in with yet another look of approval from their professor.

TK has packed up his belongings and is about to say goodbye to Carlos when he feels a sudden, tight grip on his wrist. He whips around to see Alex glowering at him, the expression on his face filling TK with fear.

“Hey babe,” he plays it off easily, feigning confusion and happiness at the sight of his boyfriend.

“Can we talk?” Alex gets out through gritted teeth.

“Yeah,” TK responds, trying to calm his nerves. “What’s up?”

Alex groans. “Not here,” he grumbles before dragging TK in the direction of the doors. TK spares one last glance at Carlos, and if looks could kill, Alex would be six feet under with the way Carlos is glaring at him. There is so much hatred in his eyes that TK has never seen before, never believed Carlos to be capable of.

The pure disgust mixed with a protective gleam in his expression sends a flare of warmth through TK’s body. He doesn’t get to think about it too much before Alex has pulled them into a secluded corner of the hallway.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Alex hisses at TK. His words only leave the boy even more baffled than before. He doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong, but Alex obviously thinks otherwise.

“What do you mean?” TK questions, voicing his confused thoughts. Alex rolls his eyes so hard that TK is surprised they don’t get stuck in the back of his head.

“You know what I mean,” he huffs. At TK’s bewildered look, Alex lets out a frustrated sigh. “You’ve been all buddy-buddy with that Reyes kid lately. I thought you guys hated each other’s guts, so why are you all of a sudden laughing at his jokes and making friendly conversation with him? _I’m_ your boyfriend, not him.”

TK’s eyebrows nearly disappear into his hairline at Alex’s words, and TK has to stop himself from laughing in amusement and shock. 

He gently takes Alex’s hands into his own, addressing him in what he hopes is a soothing voice. “Baby, you have nothing to worry about. Reyes and I agreed that we’re just better as friends. _Friends_ , and that’s it. I love you and no one else, I promise.”

He’s barely finished before Alex is ripping his hands out of TK’s hold, averting his gaze from him. “Then start acting like it,” he barks before storming down the hallway, leaving a dumbfounded TK in his wake.

TK stands there as more students start to trickle out of the surrounding classes, staring at nothing as he questions what just happened.

He’s startled out of his stupor by a firm clap of a hand on his shoulder. He looks up to see Judd staring at him with a concerned look on his face. “Everything alright with Alex?”

TK shrugs. “I think he’s upset that I’m friends with Reyes? It sounded like he was jealous, but I dunno why. It’s not like he’s a threat to our relationship,” TK scrunches his face up in thought. “If he doesn’t want me spending time with him, though, it’s probably best just to listen,” he finishes glumly as the two begin to walk to their next classes.

The thought of ending their friendship when it was only just beginning caused a sinking pit to form in TK’s stomach. He’s grown attached to Carlos in the years they’ve known each other, even when they were constantly hurling insults at one another. 

Their recent friendship has only strengthened TK’s emotional attachment, and his desire to spend time with Carlos and get to know him better is an ember burning strong within him.

But his top priority is to make sure his boyfriend is happy, and if not talking to Carlos is the way to do that, then so be it. It would only make Alex even more mad if he continued to be friends with him.

Judd lets out a noise of disapproval at TK’s comment, knowing that he’s overthinking things. “Alex doesn’t get to decide who you can and can’t be friends with. If spending time with Carlos makes you happy, which it seems like it does, then you should be able to talk to him without your boyfriend having a hissyfit. You’re always so worried about pleasing Alex, TK, that you don’t really take the time to think about what’s best for yourself.”

TK stares at Judd after his little monologue. His friend has always given good advice, that’s not new, but the passion, determination, and care mingling in his voice takes TK aback. He can tell that this is something that Judd really wants him to take to heart, and it’s working.

For once, he wants to do something that guarantees his own happiness without worrying about what anyone else, especially his boyfriend, thinks. Alex is supposed to want him to be happy, right? So he should be able to banter with his potions partner and enjoy it.

Besides, Alex didn’t even want to sit next to him on the first day of class. It’s because of him that TK was forced to partner with Carlos, and they became friends because of it. It’s all sort of ironic, come to think of it.

They walk for a couple more minutes, Judd’s words hanging in between them, before TK speaks up. “Do you think I act differently around Carlos?” His voice is barely above a whisper, scared to hear the answer.

Judd debates with himself for a few moments before formulating yet another wise response. “I don’t think you act different, just more like yourself. That Reyes kid knows how to bring out the real you, and I think everyone needs someone like that. Once you find a person who breaks down every one of your walls, you should never let them stray too far.”

With that, Judd bids TK farewell as he reaches his next class, slipping into the room as TK keeps walking, stunned at the truth of his friend’s advice. Judd may act all tough on the outside, but conversations like the one they just had proves that the man is really one giant, loving teddy bear.

The more he thinks about Judd’s input, the more he realizes how special his friendship is with Carlos and how unique their journey is. He’s not ready to let that go. He _won’t_ let it go. 

TK is sure that Alex will understand once he’s cooled down and ready to listen. He’s confident that his boyfriend trusts him to make good decisions, and that includes who he’s friends with.

Alex loves him and wants him to be happy; he just had a moment of jealousy earlier that will surely pass. TK is sure in the stability of their relationship, and who he interacts with won’t change that.

TK walks into his second period transformations class with a smile on his face, more optimistic for the future of his relationship and friendships than ever before.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

“Amortentia. Can anyone tell me precisely what it is?” Professor Windsor starts.

It’s been a couple days since Alex confronted him, and he’s been watching TK like a hawk whenever he’s within a few feet of Carlos. It’s starting to get on his nerves. TK focuses his attention on the boy beside him when Carlos raises his hand to answer.

“That’s the love potion, right?” He questions, a small smile growing on his face at their professor’s nod of approval. 

“Correct, Mr. Reyes. Ten points to Gryffindor.”

The proud and satisfied look adorning Carlos’ expression makes a smile tug at TK’s lips. The Gryffindor is so unaware of his small actions, and it’s adorable. Objectively adorable, of course. Anyone could look at Carlos right now and think he was good-looking. 

TK blinks a few times to get rid of his confusing thoughts. He is _not_ falling down that rabbit hole, not today.

Professor Windsor has continued to speak, explaining their assignment for the day. “As Mr. Reyes was saying, amortentia is commonly known as the ‘love potion.’ It causes the drinker to fall in love with the first person they lay eyes on, which, as you can imagine, leads to a lot of unnecessary drama and even sometimes dangerous situations.”

TK makes a low noise of interest in the back of his throat at the information. Carlos raises his eyebrows at him, being the only one who heard the sound.

“It’s pretty crazy how far amortentia will make some people go, huh?” he whispers as their professor goes into detail about the other effects of the potion they’re about to make.

“I just don’t think people should feel the need to drink a potion or make someone else drink one in order to feel loved,” TK whispers back, scrunching up his nose as he thinks about the topic. “Their love wouldn’t be natural then, right? It would be forced.”

Carlos hums in agreement, giving TK another one of those looks he can’t unpack. It’s as if Carlos knows something he doesn’t, but chooses to stay silent. Affection swirls in his gaze, but it’s overshadowed by the slightest bit of sadness and pity, though TK can’t even begin to wonder why he’d feel that way.

Professor Windsor’s voice snaps him out of his trance, clarifying the goal for the day. “As you can probably guess, we will not be drinking any amortentia today,” she chuckles.

“But this is a fun one. If you mix everything properly, then your potion should smell like the thing or person that you love most in the world. It’s usually something that brings about a sense of comfort or nostalgia. Once you’re done with the instructions on the board, your assignment is to write two pages on what you smell and why it’s significant to you. It’s due tomorrow; now get to work!”

TK feels a bubble of excitement start to rise in his chest. He’s gotten used to making boring potions that they don’t really do anything with, so he’s looking forward to the slight change. He turns to face Carlos, and they get to work, moving seamlessly with one another.

As per usual, they’re the first group to finish. Carlos meets his eyes before he drops in the last ingredient, asking if he’s ready. There’s a shimmer of anticipation in his eyes that matches TK’s, but he also notices a hint of nervousness in the boy’s gaze.

Before TK can comment on it, Carlos has started stirring the potion, and TK’s senses are suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of warmth and belonging.

TK doesn’t think he’s ever felt this loved, this safe. It’s a sensation he wants to hold onto forever and never let go of. If Carlos’ expression is any indication, he’s experiencing something similar.

“What do you smell?” He asks the Gryffindor through his blissful haze.

His eyes go wide for a second as he’s temporarily startled from his little bubble of comfort before he relaxes again, answering TK’s question. “My mama’s tamales. She would make them all the time when I was little...before everything happened.” He frowns, but not for long. The potion’s effects are completely overwhelming and all-consuming; anyone would be helpless against the soothing feelings the concoction evokes.

TK smiles at the sweet answer, but is puzzled at the minor disappointment he feels rising in his stomach. He shoves that thought down for later as Carlos returns his question.

“What about you? What are you smelling right now?”

It’s only as Carlos asks and TK recenters his attention on the potion that he realizes he doesn’t know exactly _what_ he’s smelling. He knows that it’s familiar, and that he’s definitely come across it before, he just doesn’t know where.

He gets out a lie about his father’s Christmas cookies before trying to think of what might be causing the current pleasure and happiness he’s experiencing. He expected something like his dad’s cookies, which is what he told Carlos and will definitely be describing in his essay; they _are_ to die for.

Part of him also hoped to smell something in relation to Alex and their relationship. He feels his shoulders sag a bit at the realization, but quickly reassures himself. Just because he didn’t smell his boyfriend’s cologne as the thing he loves most in the whole world doesn’t mean he lacks love for Alex. 

He and Carlos pour their amortentia into a vial to turn in, the warmth and comfort slowly disappearing with it. As they return to their seats to start on their homework, he lets his gaze sweep over the classroom, where other students are beginning to feel the effects of their own potions.

Grace and Judd are smiling stupidly at each other, obviously caught up in one another’s aroma and the love they share. TK is filled with a strange sense of longing and jealousy by looking at them, but it’s soon replaced with an abundance of happiness for the couple.

His eyes then fall on his boyfriend on the opposite end of the classroom. Alex’s eyes are filled with the same hazy look everyone else shares, but his gaze is on his potions partner, Mitchell, as they talk softly to one another.

TK doesn’t think much of it, even if the pair seem to be a little too close for comfort. He tells himself that this is the line of thinking that led Alex to bursting at him. It really was nothing when TK was talking to Carlos; they’re just friends, similar to how Alex is just friends with Mitchell.

Satisfied with his conclusion, TK turns back to the blank paper in front of him. He flexes his fingers, ready to write every little detail about his dad’s cookies and how their tradition of making them came to fruition.

He’s only gotten a couple sentences down when he notices that Carlos has frozen next to him, staring at the table with furrowed brows. “Everything okay?” TK pokes him in the arm to try and alleviate some of the negativity he knows Carlos is feeling.

“Yeah,” he sighs. “It’s just kind of hard to write about my mom. It brings back a lot of anxiety and bad memories.” TK notices how the boy is biting his lip, and his knee is bouncing up and down restlessly as evidence of his uneasiness.

TK hums in acknowledgement, thinking about Carlos’ words before offering his best advice. “I can’t even begin to imagine how you’re feeling or what you went through, but I guess just try and think of the good memories you have with your mom. Focus on the kind of person she was when she was living rather than the way she died” he says, his voice low. 

They’re silent for a few moments before Carlos nods and gives him the soft look seemingly reserved for him. “You’re pretty smart, you know that?”

“I’m aware,” TK smirks. Carlos rolls his eyes and lets out a short laugh, letting go of some of the tension he was holding. TK feels a sense of accomplishment at his success in cheering Carlos up, smiling at the thought.

They both get to work on their assignment, and TK has finished half of it when they’re released from class, happy with his productivity during the period.

However, throughout the rest of the day, TK can’t help but feel distracted by the memory of the indecipherable scent and how much he craves the feeling of familiarity and comfort it provided. The fragrance continues to confound him, and TK constantly racks his brain for the source of the smell, but to no avail.

The thought is on the back of his mind even as he tries to complete his homework hours later in the Slytherin common room, his friends scattered around the living space with him.

“TK Strand I swear if you click that pen one more time you will not live to see another quidditch match,” Paul threatens, noticing his distracted behavior.

TK scoffs. “You could never get rid of me,” he teases. “I’m too important to the team.”

“The sentiment is still the same,” Paul points out, ignoring TK’s smug look.

Judd ruffles his hair as their friends’ focus officially turns away from their work and onto TK. “What’s going on in that brain of yours, kid?”

TK debates for a moment whether or not to tell his friends about his dilemma, but ultimately decides that they may be able to help him figure out what he was smelling earlier.

“So we made amortentia today in potions,” he starts. Judd smiles to himself, likely at the reminder of the tender moment he shared with his girlfriend earlier that day.

“That’s the love potion, right?” Marjan asks.

TK nods, continuing his story. “Yes. It’s supposed to make you smell the thing or person you love most or whatever,” he says, waving his hands around. “I got all the same feelings people usually get when they smell it, and it was amazing.” His voice turns soft for a second at the memory before reverting back to his normal tone, voicing his confusion.

“But I don’t exactly know what I was smelling. It was definitely _something,_ but I don’t know what it was and I can’t figure it out.”

His friends look stumped for a second, but then Paul speaks up. “Wait, so what were you just writing about for your homework?” He asks, pointing towards the now-finished essay that he was working on.

“I made up a lie about my dad’s Christmas cookies. I could talk about them for days, so it made the assignment easy.” His friends are vigorously nodding at his statement, having often sung Owen’s praises after receiving care packages each year during the winter break with said cookies included in them.

“Smart move. His cookies are a gift from above,” Marjan comments, with Judd and Paul making noises of agreement. 

“I hope you figure out what it was you were smelling, though,” Judd says, turning the conversation back to him.

“I hope so too,” TK responds, picking at a loose thread on his robes. He glances at the time, realizing it’s late enough to get changed into more comfortable clothes.

“I’m gonna go get changed, I’ll be back,” he says to his friends, all of them turning back to their own homework as he departs.

He makes quick work of getting out of the stuffy robes and into sweatpants and a hoodie. He frowns as he realizes he still can’t find his favorite one; it’s been missing for a couple months now, and he has no clue where the hoodie went.

He decides to go to the bathroom while he’s at it, and makes his way towards the dormitory restrooms. When he turns the knob, he lets out what he’s sure is an inhumane noise at the sight he sees.

In front of him is Alex, precariously tangled up with Mitchell up against the bathroom sink. Their eyes go wide as they whip their heads towards TK in surprise. Both boys’ hair is an absolute mess, and their lips are cherry red from their obvious making out.

TK can feel his sight go blurry as tears well up in his eyes. Everything seems to fall away as he processes what he’s seeing, and Alex’s attempts at reassuring him only make it worse.

“TK, I swear it’s not what it looks like,” he pleads desperately. Through his tears, TK can see Mitchell shoot Alex a slightly hurt look, and Alex all but turns to putty under his gaze.

“Okay, fine, it is what it looks like. But I can explain!”

Finally moving from his frozen state, TK rapidly shakes his head, furiously wiping at his eyes. “I don’t want your explanation.” He hates how his voice breaks with the words. He hates how he thought Alex actually loved him, and he hates how stupid he was for not seeing this before.

He starts backing out of the doorway, unable to stop the pool of tears running down his cheeks as he moves faster and faster. He doesn’t even know where he’s going, but he vaguely registers his friends’ concerned shouts behind him as he leaves the Slytherin house.

He finds himself retracing the steps he made months ago at the beginning of the year without even realizing it. He’s only made this journey once, and it was in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, TK is knocking on the portrait that opens to the Gryffindor common room before he can think twice.

The door swings open to reveal a confused Grace on the other side, but her expression quickly becomes worried when she takes in TK’s ruffled appearance. “TK? Is everything alright?”

“Could you, um,” TK feels his voice crack again, and tries to clear his throat. “Could you get Carlos for me?” His words still come out shaky, and he can feel more sobs rising as memories of what he saw flash through his mind.

Grace quickly nods, the look of concern on her face growing before she disappears for a moment, soon coming back with Carlos at her side. Carlos takes one look at him with care and worry written all over his face before exchanging a few words with Grace, rushing to his side once he’s finished.

Carlos places gentle hands on his shoulders, focusing all of his attention on TK. “Hey, hey, hey, you’re gonna be okay, you hear me? You don’t have to talk about it, but I’m here for you, Ty.”

That’s all it takes for the dam to break, and before he knows it, he’s sobbing into Carlos’ chest as the other boy holds him close, whispering reassurances into his ear.

Eventually, TK pulls back, though tears are still running silently down his cheeks. Carlos hesitantly reaches out to wipe them away, giving TK time to move away if he wants to. Instead, TK leans into the touch, reveling in the comfort.

Carlos speaks softly after a few seconds, not wanting to ruin the moment. “Do you want to come inside? Grace cleared out whoever was left in the common room so that you could have some privacy.”

TK lets out a humorless laugh. Of course Carlos would have a whole room emptied in order to help someone who was hurting. It’s just who he is. 

TK trails behind Carlos into the quiet common room after he tells the lady in the portrait the Gryffindor password.

They sit down on the couch, and Carlos looks at him with so much care and affection in his eyes that TK nearly starts crying again.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asks, his tone hushed.

TK wraps his arms around himself as he sniffs. “Just stay with me? Please?”

“Of course,” Carlos responds. It seems as if he wants to reach out to comfort TK, but is holding himself back. TK shifts a little closer, letting their knees touch.

After sitting there for a few minutes, TK begins to spiral again as his thoughts drift back to Alex and how every part of their relationship seems like a lie now. He was supposed to spend the rest of his life with Alex. Now what?

He always thought that Alex being picky with him and getting jealous whenever he talked to another guy was just his way of showing that he loved him, but now TK sees how much of a fucking _hypocrite_ Alex is. 

TK knows that his sadness is going to turn to anger soon, but right now he can’t stop thinking about how his world fell apart tonight.

He falls against Carlos as a fresh wave of tears begins, burying himself in Carlos’ neck when the other boy wraps his arm around his waist, pulling him closer.

It’s as TK finally starts to calm down and when the circles Carlos is rubbing into his back have almost completely stopped his tears, that he realizes it.

Here, in Carlos’ arms, is that familiar smell from potions. He’s only been this close to him once before, all those months ago when Carlos got them dinner from the kitchens and they ended up hugging.

It all hits TK like a freight train, and he’s sure he’ll freak out about it later, but right now he’s too exhausted. He’s used all of his energy on crying, so instead he just moves impossibly closer to Carlos, for once accepting the warmth and comfort that’s being provided to him.

He can feel the care radiating off of Carlos in waves, and it’s then that TK decides he wants to stay like this forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so much happened here omg but i love tk :( bby deserves the world
> 
> what do you think you guys would smell if you made amortentia?? for me it would probably be cinnamon or some shit like that...i fuckin love cinnamon


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hi hi okay so the second part of this chapter made me smile a lot so fair warning but also i usually go back and do a thorough read and edit of my chapters but i did not do that for this one bc my goal was to have it up before i leave for a trip and i leave in like 30 min so i'm posting this quick sorry for any mistakes!! might go back later but idk i'll probably be too lazy unless a mistake is rly getting on my nerves
> 
> anyways enjoy!!

The last thing Carlos expected was for his night to end with a bawling TK in his arms. Yet, here he was.

When Grace had rushed over to him with a worried look in her eyes, whispering in a hushed yet urgent tone about a distraught TK at the Gryffindor entrance, Carlos knew something was wrong.

Seeing TK in the flesh, though, was ten times worse than hearing the concern in Grace’s voice. The boy’s hair looked as if he had been running his hands through it in distress, and his eyes were puffy and red, a sure sign he had been crying. That thought was confirmed when he spotted the silent tears running down TK’s cheeks, eventually turning into sobs.

The sight absolutely broke Carlos’ heart. The Slytherin could barely get through a sentence without his voice cracking. Carlos was used to constantly seeing the sarcastic and confident side of TK; watching that slip away so easily and seeing him so vulnerable made him hurt in ways he never believed possible.

Carlos tried his best to be as comforting as he could, hoping that the worry and care he felt for TK was conveyed through his soft words and tight embrace.

It seemed to work at least a little bit, with TK’s tears tapering off after a while. The boy was exhausted from the night’s events, and Carlos wasn’t going to push for answers about what happened, no matter how curious he was. 

Whatever had TK so upset was obviously traumatic to him, and Carlos didn’t want to make him relive what he had gone through.

Now TK is silent, resting his head on Carlos’ shoulder with his eyes closed as they sit on the couch together in the abandoned common room. Carlos continues to rub small circles in TK’s back, hoping it has some semblance of a soothing effect.

His mind is racing with questions and concern for the boy under his arm, too worried to fully appreciate the feeling of being this close to TK. He’ll think about that later, but for now, he’s focused on making sure TK feels appreciated and supported.

He turns his head, making his nose brush the slightest bit against TK’s hair. He’s immediately reminded of potions and the amortentia they made, his senses filled with TK’s scent both then and now. 

He wasn’t surprised when he recognized the smell, but he’ll admit it was slightly terrifying. It made his feelings seem more tangible; it confirmed that it wasn’t all just in his head.

Carlos looks down at TK as his thoughts swirl, feeling nothing but an aching love for the person next to him. TK’s long, dark eyelashes are splayed on his cheeks, still moist from his tears. Even after a long and tiring breakdown, TK Strand still manages to be absolutely breathtaking.

Carlos is almost sure the Slytherin has fallen asleep when he speaks up, his voice raw. “He cheated on me,” he all but whispers. His eyes are still closed while he says it, as if opening his eyes will bring him back into reality where everything is actually true.

Carlos feels momentary shock at the admission, but it’s quickly replaced by anger as his jaw clenches. TK can probably feel his body tensing, shifting away from him but still remaining close, making sure to avoid eye contact.

For a moment, all Carlos can see is red. He’s filled by an all-consuming fury that is usually very uncharacteristic of him. Carlos has always prided himself in being level-headed, even in moments of high tension and frustration. 

However, learning that TK’s toxic boyfriend broke his heart by cheating on him seemed to flip a switch that Carlos didn’t even know he had. How could someone be so cruel as to hurt such a good person? He’s starting to learn that the world seems to punish the kindest people. First his parents, now TK.

Before he can conjure a response, TK starts talking again. “What’s wrong with me, Carlos? Am I not good enough? I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with him,” his words come out faster and faster, his breathing becoming more shallow as he begins to fall into another spiral.

Carlos puts his hands on TK’s knees in an attempt to steady him. “Hey, TK, I need you to breathe, okay? Look at me.” Carlos waits for TK to raise those beautiful green eyes to meet his gaze, and when he does, the fear and sadness he finds in them sends a new wave of pain through Carlos’ body.

He takes a few deep breaths in and out, motioning for TK to match his rhythm and maintaining eye contact the whole time. Once he’s calmed down again, Carlos takes a moment before addressing everything that just happened.

“Tyler, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. I hate Alex for making you question your worth, because you are more than enough. Don’t ever think otherwise. You are the most strong and compassionate person I’ve ever met. Alex being a dick doesn’t change that. _He’s_ the one who did something completely and utterly fucked up, not you.”

They let Carlos’ words sit between them, a couple tears slowly rolling down TK’s cheeks. Eventually, the corner of his mouth quirks up in a sad smile, if only for a second. “I thought I said you couldn’t use my real name,” he says quietly, trying to lighten the conversation.

“You said I couldn’t use it in _public_ ,” Carlos responds smugly yet softly, gesturing around them. “I don’t see anyone else around.” He sends a smile towards TK, but his voice is still gentle as to not overstep.

The momentary return to their familiar banter seems to cheer TK up a bit, even though the air is still heavy with his heartbreak. Carlos is glad he could provide a split second of relief, but he knows it’s going to take time for him to fully heal.

“I’m sorry for springing all of this on you,” TK sighs. “I’m a mess, and I’m sorry for coming here. You probably didn’t expect to see me tonight,” he huffs out a humorless laugh.

Carlos is shaking his head before TK has even finished his thought. “No, don’t apologize. I’m glad you trust me, and it’s good you went to someone instead of dealing with this on your own.”

TK winces slightly. “Yeah, I should probably go talk to my friends. I kinda ran out with no explanation and came straight here. I could tell they were worried, though. I feel bad for leaving them,” he frowns.

Carlos feels his heart flutter at the notion that TK came directly to him for help after experiencing one of the worst types of heartbreak. He’s also a bit confused about why exactly he was the first choice, but he instead tries to focus on the fact that TK trusted him enough to see him so exposed.

“They’ll understand,” Carlos reponds. “They’re good people, and they care about you a lot. I’m sure they just want to make sure you’re okay.”

TK nods, but still has a troubled look on his face. Carlos can tell he’s still overthinking things, and he wishes he could do something more to help.

“Thank you for helping me tonight,” TK says after a few more moments of silence. “I really can’t say how grateful I am to know you, Carlos. You didn’t have to be here for me, especially after how rude I’ve been to you in our past, but you were. That means more than you’ll ever know.”

His voice is soft, and it’s filled with unbridled gratitude. It takes Carlos aback, making him think of just how far they’ve come in this school year. He’s proud of how they’ve been able to overcome their differences, going from constant insults and scowls to easy banter and laughter.

“I’ll always be here for you, TK, whatever you need.” As he says it, Carlos can feel in every bone of his body how true his words are. He wants to be there to love and support TK for as long as the other boy will let him.

“I know you will.” TK gives him a small smile. “For the record, I’m here for you too,” he says nervously, looking down. “I’ll always be willing to listen or give you a shoulder to lean on or whatever. It isn’t just a one-way street.”

Carlos murmurs his thanks, giving TK a fond look. He knows that it can be hard for the boy to show affection sometimes, even if he’s never directly said it; it’s just something he’s come to learn. Carlos admires him for being honest and voicing his thoughts. It also makes it all the more special that the Slytherin feels like he can be vulnerable around Carlos.

Even though the conversation has shifted from what had TK so distraught in the first place, Carlos knows that Alex’s actions are still weighing heavily on his mind. He racks his brain for ways to distract TK in the coming days, feeling excitement rise when he eventually thinks of an idea.

“Hey,” he pokes TK’s knee, gaining his attention. “Me and my friends are going to Hogsmeade next weekend, you guys should join us. It might help you get your mind off of things and have a little fun. Besides, Grace and Judd would probably be happy to see our two groups getting along.” Carlos smiles a bit at the thought, already anticipating the couple’s reaction to their social circles finally combining.

TK hums in thought, seemingly intrigued by the idea. “That sounds great, but it all honestly depends on how I’m feeling that day.” There’s a hint of guilt in his tone as his expression turns downcast. 

“I don’t want to push you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. Come if you feel up to it, but if it’s just not your day, that’s okay too.” Carlos understands where TK’s coming from; it’s going to take time to forget about Alex and the pain he caused. That process includes bad days, and he’s not just going to ignore that.

“I’ll mention it to my friends,” TK says as he slowly stands, shaking the feeling back into his limbs. “I know they’ll want to join you, and they’ll probably end up dragging me along too. We’ll see,” he shrugs.

Carlos rises after him, leading TK towards the exit. TK turns to him one last time before exiting through the portrait. “I know I’ve already said this a bunch of times, but seriously, thank you. I’m sorry for intruding, but I appreciate this and you.”

Carlos makes a noise of protest at TK apologizing again, but moves towards him to give him a tight hug at the end of his words. “You’re so strong, TK. I know you can get through this. Alex can rot in hell for all I care.”

TK lets out a laugh against Carlos’ neck, and he can feel the vibration travel throughout his body, sending a jolt of electricity through him. He’s once again overwhelmed by his never-ending supply of love for the Slytherin in his arms, wanting to hold him like this forever.

Sooner or later they pull apart, and TK thanks him again before he’s out the door and disappearing down the hallway. TK’s eyes were still swollen from his crying and he looked absolutely exhausted, but Carlos is satisfied that he was doing at least a little better when he left than when he arrived.

Still, the worry he feels for TK is like a pit in his stomach. Not to mention how fucking mad he is at Alex. What an _asshole_. Carlos knew he didn’t like Alex and how he treated TK, but he never thought he could feel this amount of disgust for one human. However, it seems as if he’s proven himself wrong.

His resentment must be clear on his face, because Grace’s expression when he runs into her on the stairs is filled with unparalleled concern and curiosity. 

“Is everything okay? What happened?” she speaks quickly, as if the questions have been bursting to come out.

Carlos sighs. He’s conflicted; on the one hand, he wants to tell Grace what happened so that Alex gets exposed as the nasty cheater he is. On the other, he wants to respect TK’s privacy and his decision on who knows and who doesn’t. He decides to go with the latter.

“It’s not really my place to say what happened, but as you could probably tell...it’s not the best. I offered for him and his friends to join us at Hogsmeade on Saturday thinking it might help cheer him up a bit, but I dunno if he’ll go.”

Grace lights up a bit at his suggestion, just as Carlos thought she would. “That’s such a good idea! I can’t wait for you guys to actually spend some time with Judd and his friends.”

She’s practically beaming at this point, but sobers up again as she remembers their original conversation. “I hope TK’s gonna be okay, though. I can tell he’s been through a lot; he doesn’t deserve any more on his plate,” she says quietly.

Carlos couldn’t agree more. He’s still not sure what happened over the summer to put TK in the state he was in a few months ago, but he knows it was tough on the Slytherin. It makes him upset to think about how TK was just beginning to recover when his relationship suddenly came crashing down on him.

After conversing with Grace for a few more minutes about their plans for the next weekend, Carlos finally heads up to the dorms. His mind is racing with thoughts of TK and the way the night went as he collapses into bed.

He eventually drifts off, the ghost of TK’s lingering embrace surrounding him as he sleeps.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

Carlos can see his breath as he huddles with Michelle and Mateo in the crisp afternoon air. It snowed the night before, leaving a blinding white shimmer throughout the grounds. He’s already craving the heat of a big glass of butterbeer, bouncing on his toes in an attempt to preserve his warmth.

He whips around when he hears Grace shout behind them, turning to see her leading Judd and his friends to join them. Carlos is pleasantly surprised to see TK among the group, not expecting him to have actually come. 

“Finally! We were starting to get frostbite over here,” Michelle huffs as they approach. Grace seems unbothered by their tardiness, a wide smile adorning her face.

“Well we’re here now,” she says cheerily. “And you guys finally get to properly meet!” Grace claps her hands together, clearly excited that the rivalry between the two houses has been set aside for at least today.

Carlos shakes his head at his friend’s elation and his lips begin to turn upwards in amusement. He catches Judd looking at his girlfriend with even more affection, love omnipresent in his gaze.

Carlos can feel eyes on him as the two groups begin to talk, and he turns to see TK watching him with an unidentifiable look in his bottle-green eyes. Before he can question it any further, TK swiftly looks away and speeds up to walk alongside Marjan as the group begins to head in the direction of Hogsmeade.

Carlos opts to fall back next to Paul, taking the opportunity to catch up with the Slytherin and also get an update on TK’s well-being. Paul flashes him a small smile as they fall in step with one another, and they spend a few minutes talking about quidditch before Carlos decides to bring up TK.

When it seems like they’ve reached a pause in their conversation, Carlos seizes the silence. “Hey, how’s TK been holding up?” It had been nearly a week since TK came to the Gryffindor common room, and Carlos had spent every second worrying.

TK had been absent from potions the first couple days, and when he did return, he was unusually quiet and Carlos could spot bags under his eyes. It was as if he was going through the motions, taking notes and helping Carlos make potions, but never actually present in the moment.

Paul sighs at his question, most likely remembering something similar. “He’s getting through it. The first few days were rough, and it’s still bad, but I think he’s getting a little bit better. He’s talking more each day, but it’s usually hard to get him out of bed or to eat much.”

Paul’s eyes are sad as he explains what the past week has been like, and Carlos’ heart feels heavy at the pain TK has been going through. He looks up at the boy far ahead of him, walking shoulder to shoulder with Marjan. Carlos is determined to make today good for TK, no matter what it takes.

After a few moments of silence, Carlos begins to think back to his initial surprise at TK’s presence. “How’d you guys get him to come out today anyways? I didn’t really think he’d be up for it.”

Paul shrugs, but a ghost of a smile starts to rise on his face. “We thought it would be a good distraction for him, and I guess he agreed. I think it probably had something to do with you being here, though. You’ve been motivating him a lot lately. Thanks for that, by the way.”

Paul is so casual when he speaks, but Carlos feels like his heart is anything but as it races in his chest. He never thought he could have that kind of impact on another person, let alone TK, and to hear Paul describe him as a sort of inspiration for the person he loves most nearly knocks the wind out of him.

Before he can think of anything to say, Paul is patting him on the shoulder before jogging ahead, whisking Marjan away and leaving TK alone. Carlos quickly catches up with the boy, bumping their shoulders together as they walk.

TK gives him a small smile at the motion, but otherwise remains silent. Carlos notices how TK keeps their shoulders close, never straying far.

“How are you doing, Ty?” He says softly, Paul’s words at the back of his mind. At first all he gets is a shrug, but then TK decides to give his best attempt at an answer.

“Not the best. But I’m trying to think of all the ways he was shitty to me while we were together, and I’m pretty sure it’s helping. I can’t believe I never noticed the way he was treating me, though, even when my friends warned me,” he frowns, his voice quiet.

“None of that was your fault,” Carlos starts, already feeling his protective side shining through. “Most of the time people don’t realize how toxic their relationships are until they’re out of them. It’s easy to dismiss little things while they’re happening, but eventually it all builds up. It’s for the best that you’re done with Alex.”

TK nods as he speaks, and Carlos is glad they’re on the same page. “I think I know that now, at least logically. It’s just that I built this fantasy, this happy ever after in my head, and the idea of letting go of that hurts more than I thought it would.”

Carlos hums as he mills over his thoughts. “That doesn’t mean you can’t still have your happy ending. You just have to tweak it a bit, that’s all.”

TK smiles a bit as Carlos finishes, his voice turning teasing. “Who knew you were such an optimist?”

Carlos mirrors his actions, his tone more light-hearted than before. “What can I say? You ask and you shall receive.” He mimics a short bow, exaggerating his hand movements, making TK giggle.

Carlos is glad he’s got TK smiling again, and as they round the corner, Hogsmeade slowly comes into view. “Okay, no more thinking about Alex. Today is going to be great, and I’m going to make sure of it,” he says confidently.

TK looks at him with a twinkle in his eyes, his voice dripping with amusement. “Oh are you?”

“Yep,” Carlos grins, making the ‘p’ pop. TK rolls his eyes with a smile on his face as they reach the small village.

Their friends start to disperse, breaking up in smaller groups and promising to meet back up soon. Carlos briefly catches Grace trying to drag Judd into Madame Puddifoot’s, the man vehemently shaking his head as he’s dragged into the bright pink shop.

Carlos chuckles before turning his attention back to TK. “Race you to the Three Broomsticks?”

TK lights up at the invitation for competition, cracking his knuckles. “Anything to get payback for you beating me last time.”

“So he admits defeat!” Carlos grins widely as TK groans.

“No, _no_. I’m still positive you cheated, I just know that you’ll never accept that,” he defends.

“Sure,” Carlos teases, drawing out the word. “Alright, ready? 3..2..1..go!”

The two boys take off in the direction of the bar, careful not to slip on the fresh snow or any hidden patches of ice. Carlos knows they must look insane, but he can’t find it in himself to care as the wind rushes past his face with TK only a couple feet in front of him.

They both reach the entrance, Carlos slightly behind TK, and the Slytherin raises his fists up, pumping the air. “Victory! Sweet, sweet victory,” TK brags, his breathing heavy from the exercise.

“I would like to thank my dad for always being there, my quidditch coach for building my stamina, and my dog back home, Buttercup. This has truly been an honor,” TK exaggerates, motioning with passion towards an invisible crowd.

Carlos rolls his eyes at TK’s dramatics, laughter bubbling over as they catch their breath.

“Yeah, yeah, take it all in,” Carlos concedes, still smiling. “The butterbeer’s on me, as your prize,” he says, opening the door.

TK smiles, still proud of himself, as they step through into the bustling atmosphere. The Three Broomsticks is packed to the brim with students, all of them seeking warmth on the cold afternoon.

He sticks close to TK, making sure they don’t get pushed apart. “You go try and find us a seat, I’ll get our drinks,” he says into his ear, close enough to make sure he’s heard over the overwhelming noise of the bar.

Carlos feels a chill run down his spine at their proximity due to the crowd, his chest pressed up against TK’s back. The feeling is gone all too soon as TK nods in affirmation to his suggestion, peeling away from him to search for an empty seat.

Despite the large amount of people, he receives their order relatively quickly, pushing his way back through the multitude of bodies to try to find TK without spilling their butterbeer all over the place.

He’s surprised when he spots TK in a small booth, not expecting him to have actually found a spot. He makes his way over, plopping down next to him as he hands the boy his drink.

Carlos takes a sip, letting out a noise of contentment at the taste as the warmth travels down his throat. He absolutely loves butterbeer -- he’s gone way too long without it.

TK seems to be experiencing something similar, closing his eyes and wrapping his hands around the mug. “You know,” he says, his eyes fluttering open as Carlos’ attention turns to him. “I’m not actually a huge fan of the actual taste of butterbeer. It’s just a little too sweet, I can never finish the whole thing. But it makes me feel safe and nostalgic, so I drink it anyways,” he finishes, taking another sip to prove his point.

Carlos hums in agreement. “I see where you’re coming from, it’s not for everyone. I don’t think anyone could truly hate butterbeer, though. I’m pretty sure it’s a source of comfort for pretty much anyone at Hogwarts.”

“Cheers to that,” TK nods, raising his glass slightly. They clink their drinks together, each of them taking another sip.

Carlos loves how they can talk about topics as mundane as butterbeer and still have a meaningful conversation about it. He knows that he’ll always be able to enjoy TK’s presence, regardless of what they’re talking about.

TK’s eyes suddenly focus on something behind Carlos, and his face completely drops. “So much for not thinking about Alex,” he grumbles.

His expression is stone as Carlos turns around, scanning the bar for whatever made TK’s mood shift so quickly.

It only takes a moment before he sees them. At the other end of the room, Alex and Mitchell are snuggled up in a booth of their own, oblivious to their surroundings as they’re too tied up with one another.

Carlos feels rage boil under his skin, but ignores it in favor of getting TK the hell out of there. He helps TK grab his jacket and ushers him to stand, though the boy seems to be in a daze. He places a gentle hand on his back, guiding him out of the crowded bar and back into the frigid air, abandoning their drinks.

Carlos thought he had been pretty successful so far in keeping TK distracted, but seeing his ex happily cuddled up with the guy he cheated on him with is bound to cause some mental distress.

“I’m glad he’s happy,” TK whispers as they walk down the snowy path. “I just wish I could forget about him like he’s forgotten about me.”

Carlos can feel his heart break at the words. TK deserves so much better than this. “I’m so, so sorry TK.”

He shrugs. “There’s nothing either of us can do about it. I just have to learn to move on.”

Carlos feels a wave of sadness overcome him at the truth of what TK just said. It’s out of their control now; all they can do is control how they react.

Before he can dwell on it any further, Carlos is jolted forward by a sudden force to his back, feeling wetness seep through his jacket. He turns with wide eyes when he hears laughter, finding Marjan laughing at him with a pile of snowballs next to her feet.

TK’s smiling too, even though the attack came as a surprise to him as well.

“Nice one Marjan!” TK yells, shooting her a thumbs up. He laughs as Carlos gapes at him. “Traitor,” he says, sticking his tongue out. TK just grins in response, seemingly distracted from their brief run-in with Alex.

“You’re gonna pay for that, Marwani!” he shouts, running towards her, scooping up a pile of snow as he goes. 

It’s not long before their shrieking and laughter attracts the attention of their other friends, and soon enough they have a Gryffindor versus Slytherin snowball fight underway.

Carlos is huddling behind their makeshift snow barrier with his friends, trying to plan the best method of attack. “What if I go out into the line of fire as a distraction, and then you guys can do a surprise ambush?” This is serious business now, and Carlos is willing to take one for the team if it means they win. His competitive side is flaring up, and he’s more excited than he should be.

“Aye, aye, captain,” Mateo responds. Grace and Michelle give him identical nods.

“Be brave, soldier,” Michelle says, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got this.”

Carlos gives them a salute and waits for them to return it before he slowly creeps around their barrier, keeping an eye out for any of the Slytherins who may be waiting to attack.

He starts to walk across the small no-man’s-land they’ve created between their two forts, exposing himself further in hopes of distracting the other team.

All of a sudden, Carlos feels the neck of his shirt being pulled back. Before he can react, freezing cold snow hits his bare skin, causing an inhuman yelp to explode out of him. He turns to seek out the culprit, finding TK with a devilish grin on his face.

“Oh, that was low, Strand, so low,” he says, a mock-threatening tone overtaking his voice as he plans his revenge. TK seems to know he’s in trouble, taking off in a sprint as Carlos chases him.

He follows him around a corner, away from the fight his team is hopefully winning, as he gains distance on TK. Eventually Carlos catches him, wrapping his arms around TK from behind as their laughter bounces in the air around them.

TK turns in his embrace as the laughter dissolves, both of them staring at each other with fond eyes before Carlos suddenly realizes the lack of distance between them. 

He takes in TK’s flushed cheeks from the cold along with his bright eyes and disheveled hair. Carlos has been a sucker for how pretty TK is since the day they first met on that train, and being this close together, face to face, is only amplifying that feeling.

He lets his eyes wander down to TK’s lips, wondering for the hundredth time what they would feel like on his. The thought reminds him of how dangerous this situation is, especially with TK still nursing a broken heart.

He clears his throat, stepping away from TK and breaking the air of electricity that was surrounding them. He thinks he catches a split second of disappointment in TK’s eyes, but it was probably just a trick of the light.

TK’s boyfriend cheated on him only a week ago; it’s way too early to be pushing him into another relationship. Carlos needs to learn to control himself, especially now that him and TK have grown closer. He has to accept that the friendship they have is enough, and always will be. He can’t try and convince himself that they’ll ever be anything more.

A round of gleeful shouts that sound awfully similar to the voices of his friends break him out of his thoughts, and he spares a glance at TK, a smile growing on Carlos’ face as he hears Judd let out a swear. 

TK is looking at him with a curious expression before he too hears the shouts from their friends. Carlos crosses his arms and gives TK a cocky smile as the Slytherin groans. They both rush over to the battle sight, confirming that Carlos’ plan helped the Gryffindors snag the win.

The two teams are exchanging teasing insults when they reach them, leaning on one another from laughing so hard.

“You should’ve seen Judd,” Michelle tells Carlos as she wipes her tears from laughter. “He looked like a shrieking goat when he got hit.”

“Your mom’s a shrieking goat,” Judd grumbles sourly, setting off the whole group once again.

When everyone has calmed down, they begin making their way back to the castle, both groups combining effortlessly with one another, obviously more comfortable with each other now than they were at the beginning of the day.

It’s a sight that makes Carlos smile. Anyone from the outside looking in would think they’ve all known each other for ages. He can’t wait to see how they all grow into a found family for each other.

Carlos and TK fall back slightly behind their friends as they all laugh and talk. TK is watching them fondly, and Carlos imagines similar thoughts are running through his head. “This big group is pretty epic, huh?”

TK nods with nothing but affection for his friends filling his gaze. “Judd and Grace must be real happy right now. I hate that it took us all this long to actually hang out because of a stupid rivalry.”

“Hey, the rivalry may be stupid off of the pitch, but the second it comes to quidditch, know that Gryffindor is going to kick your ass like we have for the past two years,” Carlos says smugly. He can’t let the competition _completely_ die.

TK smiles at him as he shakes his head. “This is Slytherin’s year, I can tell. Not to mention that they have a pretty amazing seeker,” he brags, talking about himself. 

Carlos laughs in response. “They do have a lot of talent. But Gryffindor has me, so we’ll see…”

TK knocks into him at his teasing, both of them chuckling. “I hope you had fun today, TK,” Carlos says after a couple quiet moments.

“Today’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Besides, it’s the first time I’ve genuinely smiled all week. Thank you for suggesting this,” he says, his sincerity leaking into his voice.

“Of course,” Carlos answers before grimacing. “Sorry you had to see Alex, though. I didn’t know he’d be there.”

“Honestly? In the moment it hurt, but I think in the long run it’s gonna really help with some closure. Cheating is a dick move no matter what, but at least it wasn’t a random guy. I think he actually cares about Mitchell, and I just hope he treats him better than he treated me,” TK shrugs.

Carlos is surprised by the response, but proud of TK for coming so far in such little time. He’s already making big steps towards recovering from this, which is huge. Carlos just hopes he can be there for TK every step of the way.

He watches as the two groups disperse at the castle entrance, already making promises for another big hangout. He admires all of their friends and how lucky he is to have them, and he admires the growth he’s seen in TK and knows he’ll continue to see.

Carlos feels a swell of hope for all of their futures as he watches them, happy with the lives they’re currently living. He couldn’t be more grateful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lots of heavy talk in the first half but also the fluff in the second half <3 i love all these characters so much
> 
> also...the shrieking goat...when i tell you i spent too much time laughing at this picture...i need help
> 
> idk how to hyperlink on here yet but just google shrieking goat you'll Know which picture it is i promise


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw- very brief mention of death
> 
> hey guys!! sorry it's been a while i've had some stuff happening in my personal life lol
> 
> but i've missed y'all i hope you enjoy this chapter <3

The noise in the dungeons steadily grows as the students wait for their potions class to start, the anticipation of the holiday break days away setting everyone on edge.

It’s been almost three weeks since TK caught Alex cheating on him, and he’d like to think he’s doing better. He’s had his bad days, but he’s improving. TK is pretty sure a large amount of credit is due to the boy currently sitting next to him.

TK glances at Carlos. The Gryffindor has spent every free moment trying to distract him from his ex and everything that happened, and TK is beyond thankful. Carlos always finds a way to make him smile, whether it be by making a stupid joke or roping him into some pointless activity.

Nevertheless, TK still has his quiet moments, mostly when he’s falling asleep, where he has time to truly reflect. These countless nights of wondering where he went wrong in his relationship with Alex have slowly transformed into closure of some sort. TK has started to recognize the areas of his relationship that were incredibly toxic, and is gradually accepting the fact that moving on is what’s best.

There’s no point in dwelling too long on a relationship that was doomed to fail, even if he didn’t see the numerous red flags.

He still gets caught up in his head, sometimes, cursing himself for not catching on when Alex started to distance himself, or how cruelly he was being treated. However, those thoughts quickly evaporate whenever Carlos gives him a reassuring smile or laughs in that contagious way that’s undeniably unique to him.

TK’s been noticing lots of little things about Carlos, even more so than before. 

He notices how Carlos plays with his one loose curl of hair whenever he’s anxious or bored. He notices how Carlos has an annoyingly charming affinity for shitty puns. He notices how Carlos sometimes hums absentmindedly while he works, unaware of his actions. He notices how Carlos seems to look at him in a way that’s reserved just for him.

He notices just how beautiful of a human being Carlos Reyes is, both inside and out.

Now that TK has finally had the opportunity to genuinely learn about who Carlos really is, he can’t help but be drawn to him. He felt a similar magnetic tug on the day they met on that train, but he did everything in his power to stop the unfamiliar feelings rising so quickly in his chest.

TK is done hiding. He’s tired of trying to deny the obvious chemistry between him and Carlos, even if it’s purely platonic.

The thought unnerves TK; he knows that they have the potential to be something amazing, something more than just potion buddies. But he’s terrified of jumping into another relationship so soon, and the possibility of ruining their steady friendship with his confusing feelings is more than enough to shut him up.

Even if these new feelings are one sided, it doesn’t change the fact that when they made the amortentia it was Carlos’ cologne that he smelled. That’s not just something he can brush off, no matter how hard he tries to.

“Any holiday plans?” Carlos’ voice startles him out of his thoughts, a warm smile gracing his features.

TK shrugs and returns his grin, his voice soft from his previous thoughts. “Just me, my dad, and his genius Christmas cookies.”

“Those are the ones you talked about when we made the amortentia, right?” Carlos’ eyes are bright with interest, giving TK his full attention.

“Yeah,” TK gets out through a nervous laugh. He’s always been good at lying, but that doesn’t mean he likes to do it.

“What about you? Any Christmas baking on your agenda?” The Slytherin teases.

TK realizes with a punch of guilt that he’s never really thought about where Carlos stays during the summer or for breaks during the school year, what with his parents being gone. Adjusting must have been insane for him, yet here TK is, flippantly posing domestic situations without even giving it a second thought. It does make him curious, though.

All at once, TK has a multitude of questions, but refrains from asking any of them. He doesn’t want to come across as insensitive, even if Carlos would most likely answer them without hesitation. But still, what Carlos went through was highly traumatic, and TK doesn’t want to make him go through that again if he doesn’t have to.

“Nah,” Carlos grimaces, making TK feel even worse for asking. “I usually stay with Michelle and her family, especially because they took me under their wing after everything happened. But this year they’re going on some trip to New Zealand, so it looks like I’m going to be staying at the castle for the holidays.”

Carlos smiles at him again as if to reassure him that he’s fine with the position he’s in, but TK knows him better than that. Underneath the façade, he can tell that the Gryffindor is devastated about spending Christmas alone.

TK hums in response, stumped about how to help the man he’s slowly falling for.

The idea comes to him suddenly, and TK can feel the excitement rising in his chest before the thought has even fully formed.

“Stay with me,” TK blurts out, practically buzzing in his seat. “Stay with me and my dad for the next couple weeks. He loves having guests.”

Carlos’ eyes go wide at the suggestion, a look of disbelief on his face. “No,” he says, shaking his head. “I don’t want to impose,” Carlos continues. TK is undeterred by Carlos’ objections. He's on a mission now.

“You wouldn’t be imposing, I promise. My dad would love to meet you, and you’re going to charm him seconds, I swear.”

A small grin starts to rise at the corner of Carlos’ mouth, but he’s still hesitant. “I don’t know, Strand…”

“ _Please_ ,” TK responds, pouting. Now that he’s thought of it, he absolutely needs to see Carlos in his childhood home, no matter how many embarrassing stories it may warrant. “You’ll get to try my dad’s cookies,” TK says, drawing out the last word.

Carlos sighs, throwing up his hands in defeat. “Fine! Fine, I’ll stay with you and your dad. Just stop looking at me like that,” Carlos waves in the direction of his puppy eyes.

TK claps his hands together in excitement, mumbling a _‘this is gonna be so fun’_ under his breath as their professor starts the class.

He lets his eyes flit quickly to Carlos one last time before focusing on their teacher, noticing the boy’s poorly hidden smile at TK’s elation.

TK feels nervous energy pool in his stomach as he keeps thinking about the upcoming winter break, anticipation aching in every bone in his body.

If anything, there’s one thing he’s right about: this is going to be _so_ much fun.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

TK is also right about something else - his dad takes to Carlos instantly, immediately fretting over him as if he’s his own son.

His dad had given him a bewildered look when TK hurriedly told him about his plan, most likely due to the fact that he was so used to hearing his son constantly complain about the Gryffindor.

Nevertheless, he took it in stride, welcoming Carlos with open arms just like TK knew he would.

The trio was currently sitting in the living room of the Strand household, their bellies full from takeout. Owen Strand was talented at many things, but cooking was not one of them. Growing up in a muggle household with an absent mother, having food delivered to their home was pretty common.

TK loves takeout, and the simplicity of it after months of fancy Hogwarts food is comforting. Carlos, on the other hand, has lived in a world full of magic his whole life, not knowing anything about the outside society apart from the Muggle Studies class he took in his second year.

The look of curiosity on his face when they had started talking about dinner plans turned into hours of TK and Owen explaining various aspects of their muggle life that were otherwise foreign to Carlos.

Which leads them to their current predicament. Owen is perched on the recliner adjacent to the couch, where TK and Carlos are sitting with Buttercup in between them. The dog has rested his head on Carlos’ lap, easily falling asleep and subsequently causing a soft smile to rise on TK’s face at the sight.

“So you’re telling me you just...run into the burning buildings? No extinguishing spells or anything?” Carlos has a look of pure fascination on his face as he leans forward eagerly. It’s absolutely adorable. TK must have some sort of lovesick expression on his face, because his father gives him a pointed look before turning his attention back to Carlos.

TK decides to ignore the fact that he and his dad are definitely talking about this later, instead opting to watch as his father indulges Carlos with the description of his job and how, no, they don’t just spell the fire out. Seeing his two favorite people banter back and forth and get along so easily causes a warm feeling to rise in TK’s chest. 

His dad tolerated Alex at best, but he definitely never had such an open and light-hearted conversation with him. The difference is so stark it makes TK’s skin crawl.

His dad knew Alex wasn’t good for him and definitely did not shy away from voicing his opinion. It makes TK sick to think about the fact that he was so caught up in his boyfriend’s manipulative game that he didn’t take a moment to consider his own father’s advice. 

Owen’s input has always been spot on, and this time was no different. He just didn’t listen.

As if sensing his inner turmoil, his dad suggests the one thing he knows will cheer him up. “How about some of Owen Strand’s famous Christmas cookies? Once you have one you’ll never go back,” he winks.

TK immediately lights up at his dad’s words, nodding his head eagerly. “I’ve heard lots of good things about these cookies, sir. The bar has been set pretty high,” Carlos teases, shooting TK a quick smile as he does, making butterflies erupt in his stomach.

“Please, call me Owen,” his dad brushes off. “And I promise you, these will not disappoint. I may not be able to cook a meal, but I can bake up a storm,” he brags, leaving for the kitchen.

Now that they’ve been temporarily left alone, Carlos turns his head towards him, his eyes filled with happiness. It makes TK’s heart skip a beat to see him so content in the space he calls home. Truth is, he’s never felt more at home than in this moment.

“Thank you for inviting me to stay here,” Carlos says, both his voice and gaze softer than ever. “It means more than you’ll ever know.”

TK looks at the boy in front of him in wonder. He doesn’t know how or why he ever pushed him away in the first place; he should’ve known that he’s helpless when it comes to Carlos Reyes.

“Of course,” he replies, his voice equally as soft. “Besides,” he says, leaning over to cuff Carlos in the shoulder. “I told you this would be fun, didn’t I?’  
Carlos rolls his eyes with a smile. “Yeah, you did. And you were right. I can’t believe we’ve only been here for half a day, it feels like ages.”

“It does,” he hums. TK finds that warm feeling from earlier returning at the implication that Carlos feels so comfortable in his house with his family. The domesticity of it all is overwhelming, but in the best way possible.

Before either of the boys can say anything else, Owen waltzes back into the living room with a warm tray of fresh baked Christmas cookies. He places it down in front of them without a word, waiting with a smug smile for Carlos’ reaction.

Carlos grabs one of the cookies from the tray, letting out a moan as he tastes it for the first time. TK can feel his face flush at the noise and attempts to push all of the inappropriate thoughts out of his mind as he grabs a cookie of his own, stuffing it into his mouth.

TK closes his eyes as he relishes in the deliciousness of his dad’s cookies. They seem to bring a sense of nostalgia and warmth every single time without fail. If it hadn’t been Carlos’ aroma coming from the amortentia in potions, it definitely would’ve been the scent of these cookies.

“Okay, yeah. Yet another thing Tyler Kennedy Strand was right about. Merlin’s beard, these are amazing,” Carlos speaks, his mouth still full of crumbs.

TK’s eyes snap open at his words, immediately meeting his dad’s surprised expression as his mouth hangs open slightly. For the first time possibly ever, his dad is speechless. 

He’s not speechless for long, though.

“He knows your _name_? And you let him _use it_?” Owen manages to squeak out, still shocked. Carlos lets out a nervous laugh, trying to break the newfound tension. 

“He told me a couple months ago, it’s not a huge deal,” he says somewhat cautiously. As if he’s transported back to reality from Carlos’ voice, Owen snaps back into motion.

“Of course, of course. No big deal,” he mutters. However, the look he gives TK suggests that it _is_ in fact a big deal.

TK knows it, too. Carlos is the only other person outside of his family that knows his full name. It’s not exactly something he’s open about. Hell, he never even told Alex what his initials stand for. 

So the fact that the person who Owen, until today, presumed to be someone that TK hated knows one of his best kept secrets is bound to raise some questions.

But TK never really hated Carlos. He’s always known, deep down, that the Gryffindor is someone he can trust with his life. That feeling has only grown as they’ve gotten closer over the past few months.

Seeming to sense that the two Strands need some time alone, Carlos stands from the couch, gently moving Buttercup’s head off his lap. “Thank you again for your hospitality, Owen. The cookies are really good. It’s been a long day, so I should probably head to bed,” he says, excusing himself.

“It’s my pleasure, kid. Sleep well,” he replies as Carlos starts to back out of the room and up the stairs. 

“I’ll be up in a second,” TK calls after him. Once Carlos is out of sight, he slowly turns to face his father, dreading the conversation they’re about to have.

“Care to tell me what that was all about?” Owen moves to sit next to his son as TK rubs his hands over his face.

“Do I really have a choice?” TK groans.

“Yes,” his father relents. “I’m not going to force you to talk about anything you don’t want to, but it might help to get some stuff off your chest.”

“TK, you hate when people use your full name. You barely even gave it a second thought when he said it,” his dad speaks again after TK remains silent. TK knows it’s his way of guiding them into a conversation, his version of a starting point.

“He’s different,” TK whispers, not really knowing what else to say.

They sit in silence for a few moments as TK gathers his thoughts. He doesn’t even know how to make sense of all of the conflicting feelings in his mind, much less explain them to someone else.

He figures it’s worth a shot, though. He trusts his father more than anyone else in the world, and he’s gotta start somewhere.

“I really like him, dad,” he admits softly. It’s the first time he’s ever actually said that aloud, and it makes his heart skip a beat. “I feel like I can’t though, not so soon after things ended with Alex,” he sighs.

His dad gives him a sad smile, but there’s a protective sort of gleam in his eyes. “Carlos isn’t Alex, TK. It’s okay to move on. Your heart doesn’t care about how much time has gone by, it just cares about the present. It’s best to listen to it,” his dad says casually, despite dropping almost poetic advice. “Besides,” he smirks, taking a sip of his drink, “I like Carlos.”

TK raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Really? After I’ve basically shit-talked him for years?”

Owen lets out a laugh at his son’s bluntness. “I know you didn’t mean anything you said. I know you, TK, and you could never truly hate anyone. It actually makes sense, if you think about it.”

TK lets his mind wander to all the times he’s treated Carlos coldly, starting with the night they met. All these years it’s been his defense mechanism, his way of protecting himself from getting too close to him and ultimately getting hurt. 

That first train ride was all it took for TK to know that he would fall for Carlos, and that he would fall way too fast. Being so young and so naive, the barrage of unfamiliar feelings was completely terrifying. At the time, he believed that the only way to stop what he was feeling was to shut Carlos out in any way he could.

Now, he realizes that he never really got rid of those feelings, just buried them where he couldn’t think about it. He should’ve known it would come full circle eventually.

“A few weeks ago in class, we made this potion called amortentia,” TK breaks the blanket of silence that has fallen over them, still speaking quietly. “It’s supposed to smell like the person or thing that you love the most in the world.”

Owen inhales sharply, letting out a noise of understanding. “It was Carlos, wasn’t it,” he questions softly.

At TK’s gentle nod, Owen speaks again. “Oh, son, you’ve got it bad.”

TK groans again, his voice thick with emotion. “I know,” he mumbles.

Owen puts a hand on his son’s knee, tapping it twice with his fingers. “Hey, look at me.” When TK obliges, he continues. “You told him your actual name, so I’m assuming you trust him, right?”

TK nods vigorously. “The only person I trust more than him is you,” he says with confidence and the slightest bit of hope. Whatever his dad is about to say will determine how the elder Strand truly feels about Carlos, and TK doesn’t want to go against his father’s instinct like he did with Alex. 

TK has a really good feeling about Carlos, and he hopes his dad can sense that. 

“Good. If you trust him, then I trust him too. He’s a good kid, and I can tell that he actually cares about you.” Owen gives him a reassuring smile, and TK lets out a breath of relief.

The way Carlos interacted with his dad earlier was already a good indication of where his head was at, but it feels like a weight had been lifted off of TK’s shoulders at the confirmation.

“He does care about me,” TK whispers, eyes starting to well up at the unexpected depth of the conversation. “He always tries to make sure I’m happy and that I’m doing okay. I really don’t deserve everything he does for me,” he admits, wiping at his tears.

Owen takes TK into his arms, trying to comfort his son. “You do deserve it. You deserve the best that this world has to offer, and I’m glad Carlos recognizes that. Don’t let him go, TK.”

TK nods into his dad’s shoulder. He needed this conversation. It helped him actually organize all of the twisted feelings he’s been balling up, and it always helps to have his dad there by his side.

Eventually their conversation turns to lighter topics, both of them taking the time to properly catch up after months of being apart. TK savors the feeling of being back with his father, something he’s missed way too much while being at Hogwarts. His dad is one of his biggest inspirations, and having him speak honestly and give such solid advice never fails to make him feel better.

After a while, TK bids his father goodnight. They’ve stayed up way too late, and he’s exhausted. He makes his way up the stairs and to the bathroom, quickly getting ready for bed. When he enters his room, he nearly melts at the sight before him. 

Carlos is curled up on the air mattress his father set up earlier, dead asleep and absolutely adorable. The moonlight filters through the bedroom window, spilling over his disheveled curls and the blanket bunched up over his shirtless form. His lips are parted slightly in his sleep, and his long, dark eyelashes are splayed out over his cheeks.

TK leans against the doorframe for a minute or two, taking the time to appreciate Carlos in all his beauty.

He’s just about to climb into his own bed when Carlos starts mumbling in his sleep, moving around faster and faster until he’s thrashing. “No, no, please! No,” he whimpers, obviously having a nightmare.

TK’s heart aches seeing Carlos in so much distress, and he rushes to his side to wake him up before his dream gets any worse. After a few failed attempts, TK eventually shakes Carlos awake, worry etched into his features.

Carlos startles at TK’s touch, immediately sitting up and looking around frantically as if to remind himself of where he is. When he meets TK’s eyes, he finally breaks, tears rolling down his cheeks as he leans fully into the other boy.

TK wraps an arm around him, rubbing circles into his back as he tries to reassure him. “You’re okay, everything’s okay now, I promise.”

TK runs his other hand through Carlos’ hair to try and calm him down from whatever horrible image the nightmare conjured. He hates that he can’t do much to help other than just being there for him, but being there will have to be enough for now.

After taking a few deep breaths, Carlos removes his head from its place under TK’s neck, but doesn’t move from his spot against his side. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “This, um, happens pretty often. Especially when I’m in new places, for some reason,” he stutters, picking at a thread on the comforter.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” TK responds softly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Carlos lets out a long sigh, remaining silent for a while. TK is just about to accept that he doesn’t feel up to reliving his nightmare, kicking himself for even asking, when Carlos speaks up.

“Ever since my parents were murdered in the same house as me, I’ve had a lot of recurring nightmares of that night,” he shrugs. “It’s not fun, but I’ve learned to deal with them. Some nights are worse than others, though,” he smiles sadly.

TK frowns, his hold on Carlos tightening without a second thought. “I’m so sorry, Carlos. That must be horrible,” he whispers. Carlos told him about that night a while ago, and TK feels guilt rise in his throat at the realization that he never seriously considered checking in on how it was affecting him. Experiencing what he did is more than traumatic, and that doesn’t disappear in a day.

“It was. My parents didn’t deserve any of that.” His eyes start to well up again, and he squeezes them shut in an attempt to stop the tears from flowing. “I miss them so much, TK.”

“Of course you do. Your feelings are so valid, and you have every right to be mad. I don’t know much about your parents, but I do know that they loved you so much. You can’t forget that,” TK says, wiping away the tears on Carlos’ cheeks.

“I know,” he says quietly. “Thank you, TK, for being here.”

“I’ll always be here for you, okay? Always.” TK makes sure to maintain eye contact with Carlos while he says it, making sure the boy knows the truth of his promise.

TK wouldn’t usually be this bold and straightforward, but the combination of his conversation with his dad and his compulsive desire to comfort Carlos gives him the courage he needs. Even if they’ll never be anything more, he wants to be there for Carlos as long as he can.

TK shifts them so they’re laying down on the air mattress, curled up against one another. He continues to run his fingers through Carlos’ curls in an attempt to soothe him and get him to fall back asleep, hopefully with no nightmares this time.

Being woken so abruptly and going through so many emotions in such a small amount of time has obviously taken a toll on Carlos as he burrows further into TK, half asleep.

“Tell me something,” he mumbles, his eyes closed.

“Like what?” TK looks down at the boy up against him. He’d do just about anything to keep him happy.

“Something random, anything to distract me.”

TK thinks for a moment. “Did you know that hippogriffs only take a week to learn how to fly?”

Carlos props his chin on TK’s shoulder, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Seriously? Only a week?”

“Mhm,” TK smiles. He continues to spew random facts about magical creatures as Carlos slowly drifts off to sleep.

TK debates if he should move back to his own bed or not, but decides it’s okay to be selfish for one night. He loves the feeling of having Carlos in his arms, and he wants to hold onto him for as long as possible. With his nose buried in Carlos’ hair, TK finds his way to sleep as well.

Neither of them move for the rest of the night other than to grip tighter onto one another, and it ends up being the best sleep either of them have had in ages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> papa strand has made an appearance!! yay!!
> 
> also i love my bby carlos but wbk


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw - mention of drugs and overdose
> 
> surprise!! double update!!
> 
> i felt bad about going so long without posting so i figured i'd hold off a little longer to write another chapter. i promise it'll be worth it but u might hate me after this one lol

Carlos burrows into the warmth at his side before fluttering his eyes open, letting out a content sigh. It takes him a disorienting moment to figure out where exactly he is, and that he’s in the arms of none other than TK Strand.

Memories of the night before come in sudden flashes; him laughing and sharing stories with Owen, exchanging private smiles with TK, passing out after leaving the Strand boys to talk, then...then his nightmare.

And here TK was, still by his side after Carlos cried into him for a seemingly endless amount of time.

The early morning light filters through the blinds, casting lines of gold across TK’s face. His hair is mussed from the night of sleep, and he looks absolutely gorgeous.

Carlos watches as TK mumbles in his sleep, unconsciously pulling him closer. Carlos smiles at the action, looking at the Slytherin with fondness.

He isn’t sure how much longer he can handle being this close to TK without doing something stupid like kiss him or confess his feelings, two options that are nearly impossible to fathom. 

First of all, TK just got out of a horrible relationship, and Carlos doesn’t want to spur all of his feelings on him so soon and so suddenly. 

Secondly, it’s not like the feelings would be mutual. Although they’ve become extremely close this school year, it doesn’t change the fact that TK only sees him as a friend and nothing but a friend.

Carlos knows this. He does. But he can’t help how his eyes seem drawn to TK’s lips, imagining what they would feel like on his. He can’t help how a smile naturally comes to his mouth whenever TK enters the room, or how butterflies erupt in his stomach whenever TK laughs at one of his jokes.

He can’t help that he’s hopelessly in love with him, and has been since the first day he saw those green eyes. Being so young, he didn’t know much, but he did know that TK would become one of the most important people in his life.

Even through the years of hate-filled comments, Carlos knew in his core that this would be true. As he lays here with his head on TK’s chest, the love he feels for the boy is undeniable. He wants to wake up to TK each and every morning and be able to call him his.

Carlos tears his eyes away from TK, willing himself to get out of bed no matter how much he doesn’t want to. His day has to start at some point.

When he returns from the bathroom, TK is sitting up on the air mattress, adorably rubbing the sleep from his eyes. TK spots him and they share a smile, Carlos moving across the room to sit next to him.

“Morning,” Carlos says quietly, not wanting to disturb the comfortable silence.

“Hi,” TK smiles sweetly. It feels like something has shifted between them after last night, and it makes Carlos’ heart stutter with hope and anticipation.

“Thank you again for helping me last night. I want to say it won’t happen again, but I can’t make any promises.” Carlos tries to smile, but it probably comes out as more of a grimace.

TK seems to make it incredibly easy to talk about his feelings openly and honestly without any fear of judgement. Carlos has always loved and trusted his friends, but the way he connects with TK is unmatched. 

“Of course,” TK says, his voice mirroring the soft atmosphere surrounding them. “Like I said before, I’ll always be here for you.”

“Same goes for you,” Carlos murmurs. They’re silent for a few moments, sitting shoulder to shoulder.

“I like how we can always be honest with each other. It’s refreshing,” Carlos blurts before he can stop himself. 

Great. He’s slowly starting to reveal all of his feelings, one by one. He needs to be careful, before the full truth pours out.

TK hums in agreement, but his eyebrows are furrowed in thought. Carlos can tell he’s lost in his own mind, the way he bites his lip giving him away.

“What’s wrong?” Carlos questions, bumping his shoulder against TK’s. The Slytherin huffs a laugh of amusement at Carlos’ ability to call him out on his bullshit, making Carlos smirk.

“There’s one thing I’ve been keeping from you, but I think I just wasn’t ready to talk about it. I, uh, I’m pretty sure I’m ready now.” TK is back to chewing at his lip, and Carlos immediately gives him his full attention.

“Go ahead,” Carlos gently urges.

“If we’re being honest with each other...I should probably let you know why I was such a mess at the beginning of the school year. I worried my friends, I worried you, and I’m sorry for that,” TK starts by apologizing.

Carlos is already shaking his head. “No, don’t apologize. It was scary seeing you like that...but I knew there was a reason behind it.”

Carlos is a little surprised, to say the least, that TK was about to share what made him so distant and out of touch. It’s only been a few months, but it feels like a lifetime has passed since then, especially with how far TK has come. He seems so much happier now than at the beginning of the school year.

“Yeah, so um, last summer wasn’t exactly the best for me. My mental health got really bad, and instead of asking for help I, uh, I turned to drugs. Anything I could pawn off the street, really.” TK is avoiding eye contact, keeping his gaze on his knees.

“I just wanted to feel something, you know? I wanted to feel something but also nothing, if that makes sense. Anyways, it got out of hand really fast, and one day…” TK takes a shaky breath, steeling himself. 

Carlos can sense what’s coming, tears starting to shine in his eyes. He grabs TK’s hand, squeezing it in support.

“One day I took too many pills, and I overdosed. My dad and his team saved my life.” TK goes quiet for a few moments, letting Carlos take in all of this new information.

Carlos can feel the tears starting to roll down his cheeks. He almost lost TK, and he didn’t even know it. He doesn’t want to imagine a world without TK, he _can’t_ imagine a world without TK. To think he was that close to losing the most important person in his life…

“Anyways, uh, recovering wasn’t exactly the smoothest road,” TK speaks up again. “I had the last half of summer to get my shit together, and I still had some stuff to process when school started. My bad mental health combined with trying to recover led to all the things you guys saw at Hogwarts, even though I tried to cover it up. I guess I’m not that good at acting,” he laughs humorlessly.

Carlos stares at TK for a second. He didn’t know that one person could hold so much strength, so much courage. Carlos was overwhelmed with emotion.

He pulls TK into a bone-crushing hug, trying to convey all of his feelings through his touch. In case that doesn’t get the message across, Carlos responds, his voice cracking. “You are so strong, Ty. The strongest person I know. I am so proud of you. Thank you for trusting me with that.”

He can feel TK’s hold on him tighten, the wetness on his neck letting him know that the other boy is crying as well. They stay like that for a few moments, just allowing one another to accept each other’s comfort.

Eventually Carlos pulls away, wiping at his tears. “I was gonna wait till the day of, but I got you a Christmas present,” he says.

That cracks a small smile out of TK, already back to teasing him in an attempt at levity. “You couldn’t wait two days?”

“I thought it might cheer you up, but I don’t have to give it to you if you don’t want it,” Carlos says, raising his hands in mock surrender.

TK shakes his head. “No no, now you’ve got me intrigued.” There’s a smile on his face now, his eyes full of affection and curiosity.

“I dunno, I don’t give gifts to people with an attitude,” Carlos teases, grinning to let TK know he’s kidding.

TK scoffs, raising his eyebrows. “Oh, really? Who says I have an attitude?”

Carlos laughs at the hypocrisy of TK’s sassy tone, moving towards his suitcase to grab the neatly wrapped present he hid under his clothes.

Wordlessly, he hands it to TK, hoping the boy can’t sense his nerves. TK makes quick work of tearing up the wrapping paper, making Carlos snort in amusement. Of course TK is the type of person to rip the paper down the middle with no regard for any sort of mess he makes.

TK pauses his movement and raises his eyebrows at the noise, meeting Carlos’ eyes. “You got something you want to say?”

Carlos presses his lips together tightly, trying not to laugh. “Nope. Just admiring your grace,” he snickers. TK sticks his tongue out at Carlos in retaliation, but it’s quickly replaced with a smile.

Carlos watches as TK redirects his gaze to the small frame in front of him, his eyes going soft. It’s a picture of both of them at Hogsmeade with Carlos’ arm slung around TK’s shoulders. The photo moves, just like every other picture at Hogwarts, showing the both of them laughing at something TK said. In the image, they seem to have no other care in the world, the two boys leaning into one another as they look at each other with unbridled happiness.

TK is silent for a while, admiring the gift. “Grace took it when we were all at Hogsmeade together. She showed me later, and I knew I wanted to give it to you,” Carlos explains.

TK is speechless for a few more seconds before he finds his voice. “Thank you,” he says quietly. He looks up from his spot on the bed, some sort of emotion swimming in his eyes that Carlos can’t quite pinpoint. “I love it,” he whispers.

Carlos lets out a sigh of relief. He wasn’t expecting him to hate it or anything, but he was admittedly still nervous.

TK stands from the air mattress, moving to the side of his bed to put the frame on his nightstand. What Carlos doesn’t expect, however, is for TK to pull a small gift bag out of the drawer of his bedside table.

“I got you something too,” he says sheepishly. “It’s not nearly as good as yours, but I might as well give it to you now,” he shrugs.

Carlos takes the bag from him with a look of surprise on his face. He didn’t really expect to get anything in return. 

He gingerly takes out the tissue paper, exaggerating his movements to show TK how it’s done. He looks up with a mischievous smile on his face to see TK glaring at him, but Carlos knows he’s not serious. Once they lock eyes, TK grows a smile of his own, and they both break into laughter.

“I hate you,” TK says through broken giggles. “Just open the damn thing.”

Just one year ago, those words would have come from TK’s mouth with absolute venom, most likely in a heated argument with Carlos. Now, they’re innocuous comments filled with affection, nothing more than a joke.

It’s small moments like these where Carlos recognizes how far they’ve come together, and it fills him with excitement to think about how much further they have the potential to go.

Carlos finally takes the last bit of tissue paper out of the bag, staring down at the contents. Looking up at him is a plethora of candy from Honeydukes: two chocolate frogs, a package of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, a stack of cauldron cakes, and some fizzing whizzbees.

Carlos loves sweets, so he’s definitely not disappointed. He’s just a little confused. TK must catch his look of bewilderment, rushing to explain why he bought Carlos a bunch of candy.

“These were all of the snacks we ate during our first year on the way to Hogwarts,” TK says quietly. Carlos can hear the slight fear in TK’s voice, how he’s worried about bringing up the subject.

Carlos is shocked for a moment. He thought TK would never mention that train ride again, not with how he suddenly left him alone. He spent a while wondering what he did to drive his new friend away, much less warrant the mean comments that were suddenly coming at him. 

Eventually he learned to accept it, though, and it was as if their first journey to Hogwarts never even happened. But it did, and history was catching up with them. This was Carlos’ opportunity to get answers on what happened to TK that night and why.

“Why’d you turn against me so quickly, TK?” His voice is soft, but the residual hurt from over the years still seeps through his tone. “What did I do wrong?”

Guilt is written all over TK’s expression, and Carlos can tell he regrets what he did. It makes it a little easier to deal with, but he still wants an explanation.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise,” TK reassures. “I got into my own head, and I convinced myself that I didn’t deserve a friend like you,” he says softly. Carlos can already feel any resentment he was holding begin to fade away.

“I thought the only thing I could do to drive you away and to keep myself from getting hurt was, well, to hurt you instead. I had this whole ‘hurt them before they hurt you’ mentality. It probably has something to do with my mom leaving, I don’t know. Either way, you don’t deserve how I’ve treated you in the past, and I guess this is some sort of apology. I’m sorry, Carlos. I really am,” TK finishes, avoiding Carlos’ eyes.

Carlos is stunned. He didn’t realize exactly how much he needed to hear that, to get some sort of justification for being left in the dust. 

He had always tried to put it behind him, even though it was bound to become another barrier between them if it wasn’t addressed. He’s glad to get some sort of closure, to know that he hadn’t directly done anything to cause TK to hate him.

But that doesn’t change the fact that TK has been carrying this weight for years. He’s been harboring these horrible thoughts about his self-worth for far too long, and it hurts Carlos to think that TK once felt that way about himself.

“I forgive you, TK. Of course I forgive you. I haven’t been much better when it comes to how we’ve communicated over the years. I’ve said some pretty shitty things, and I’m sorry too,” Carlos starts. After a moment he decides that if they’re finally talking about this, he needs to be completely truthful with how he’s feeling.

“I’ll be honest, though, it hurt a lot when you just up and left me like that. You were the first friend I made at Hogwarts, and then you were suddenly being mean to me. I need you to understand how that affected me,” Carlos says gently.

TK nods his head sadly. “I know, and I wish I had never done it. It was just scary, how easily we got along, and I felt like I wasn’t allowed to have that.”

After everything TK has said, Carlos feels this overwhelming urge to let TK know just how much people care about him, to get rid of any nagging thoughts the boy may have about his value. He can’t have him thinking that the little voice in his head is right when it is so, so wrong.

“You deserve everything good that the world has to offer,” Carlos says quietly, making sure to look TK in the eyes. “Anyone who has hurt you is an idiot, and you deserve to be happy. Try not to let your mind get in the way of preventing that happiness.”

TK’s gaze is soft as he looks back at Carlos, taking in his words. “Thank you. I think I’m starting to learn that now,” he whispers.

After a few more moments of silence, TK speaks up again with a little more pep in his voice. “Alright,” he says, clapping his hands together. “It’s too early to talk that much about my emotions without having food. You up for some waffles?”

“I would love some waffles,” Carlos laughs, feeling the tension around them dissipate.

Carlos can’t help but to wonder what his life would be like if him and TK had been friends all this time instead of spending their days pretending to hate each other. It’s so much time that they’ve wasted, and they would be such different people if that one night had even the slightest change.

However, Carlos wouldn’t trade it for the world. Their journey has made them all the more strong, and Carlos loves the way his life has turned out so far.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

The next week and a half flies by, and before they know it it’s New Years’ Eve, two nights before they’re slated to return to Hogwarts.

Owen pours them glasses of sparkling cider as the evening grows later, apologizing when he has to leave for an overnight shift. “I trust you guys not to burn down the house,” he says as TK snorts at the irony of his statement.

“Happy New Year, boys,” Owen adds with a smile. When he receives New Years wishes of his own in return, he bids them farewell and walks out the door, leaving the two boys alone.

Carlos places the bowl of popcorn he’s holding on the coffee table before plopping down next to TK, who’s made himself comfortable on the couch. He doesn’t hesitate to move so he’s shoulder to shoulder with the Slytherin, the sides of their bodies touching from shoulder to foot. TK leans into his touch, switching the TV to a local station broadcasting the countdown to the new year.

Ever since their first night at the Strand household, TK and Carlos have grown increasingly affectionate and touchy with one another. Although they’ve opted to move to TK’s more cozy mattress, the two have repeatedly fallen asleep each night wrapped in one another’s arms.

They never mention it when they’re crawling into bed or when they rustle awake in the morning; it just happens naturally, with no words needing to be spoken. It makes Carlos giddy every time he’s able to snuggle closer, slotting together like pieces of a puzzle. It just feels so _right_. 

Their newfound closeness has led to small changes that are barely noticeable, such as nudging each other’s feet under the dinner table, affectionately knocking their shoulders into one another, or finding themselves leaning into each other when they’re in close proximity, like they’re doing now.

It feels like they’ve started fresh. They’ve finally gotten everything off of their chests, and have agreed to be as honest with each other as they can. Any resentment or hurt that they’ve buried down over the years has long disappeared.

There’s still one thing Carlos is hiding, though, and he doesn’t know how much longer he can keep it a secret. Having a taste of what his life could be like all the time with TK, the idea that they could be even _closer_ , is driving him crazy.

He knows it’s not good that he’s desperately in love with someone who just got out of a toxic relationship merely a month ago, and it’s not like their new situation is making it any easier.

But Carlos can feel the tension between them rising, and he feels like he’s going to snap any day now and confess his feelings. He keeps debating the pros and cons of spilling his guts, but tries to convince himself to wait for TK to do something first before he makes any rash decisions that could ruin their friendship.

He looks at the boy in question, who’s currently smirking at some corny joke the reporter covering the ball drop made. He smiles softly at the sight, and his gaze wanders down to where their hands are sitting side by side, only inches apart.

It would be so easy just to reach out and tangle their fingers together, to find out what TK’s hand feels like in his. Carlos is worried that that would be taking it too far, though. Sure, they’ve cuddled every night for the past week, but they were both barely on the brink of consciousness. Taking TK’s hand into his own would be diving headfirst into the water, testing something more.

The idea feels too daunting, like it would be making a statement, but he still can’t help the overwhelming urge he has to be as close to TK as he can. The courage born from a true Gryffindor convinces him to try and link his pinky with TK’s, subtle but not too ambitious.

His fingers twitch with anxiety, but he slowly inches his hand closer to the other boy. He touches the pad of his finger to TK’s, waiting for his reaction. With his eyes still on the TV, TK flips his hand over, accepting Carlos’ silent invitation.

Carlos gently links their pinkies together, squeezing TK’s as he does so. He can feel his heart thundering in his chest as TK softly squeezes back.

They sit like that for a while, only breaking the quiet atmosphere to make offhanded comments about the performances and speakers they’re watching before reigning in the new year. It’s peaceful, just enjoying each other’s presence without worrying about forcing any sort of conversation.

Eventually TK breaks their little bubble of silence with only a few minutes left before midnight. “Are you nervous for the back to school match?” 

Carlos chuckles. TK can’t sit still very long without talking about quidditch.

Every year, Hogwarts holds a quidditch match right when the students return to school as a way to ring in the new year. Everyone gets really hyped up about it, and the only time people are more excited to watch a quidditch match is during the tournament games at the end of the season.

This time the stakes are even higher, with the two teams competing being Gryffindor and Slytherin. The historic rivalry between the two houses has the whole school even more amped up for the back to school match. The tension was almost palpable when they left for break.

“A little,” Carlos shrugs. “But I know we’re gonna bulldoze you guys, so I have nothing to worry about,” he smirks.

TK rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling. “Yeah, right. We’ll see about that,” TK shoots back. “No hard feelings when Slytherin wins, by the way.”

Carlos laughs from his spot against TK, feeling the other boy begin to shake with laughter as well. He loves this feeling. Right here, in this moment. Banting back and forth with the boy he loves most, feeling the pressure of their skin up against each other. He doesn’t want this night to end.

He meets TK’s gaze as the crowd on the TV begins to chant the final countdown to the new year.

_Ten._

TK has some sort of indecipherable look in his eyes, one that Carlos has been seeing even more frequently. He can usually read TK like a book, and it bothers him that he’s unable to figure out what that one emotion is.

_Nine._

Carlos feels his breath hitch as TK’s gaze drops down to his lips. He must be imagining things.

_Eight._

Carlos can’t help the magnetic pull that he’s always felt whenever he’s near TK. He can feel himself start to drift closer. He can almost feel TK’s breath on his.

_Seven._

Carlos looks back up into those green eyes he loves so much. He can tell that TK is determined, but he also seems scared as hell.

_Six._

If TK is scared of kissing him, maybe this isn’t the right time. Maybe it’ll never be the right time. He’s probably still recovering from Alex.

_Five._

Shit, Alex. It’s been a month, and even though TK seems to be doing a lot better, Carlos has no way of judging whether or not he’s actually over the other boy.

_Four._

What if he’s not over him? What if Carlos is just a way for TK to try and distract himself? He doesn’t want to be a rebound.

_Three._

But TK would never do that to him. Carlos knows better. However, he can’t help to question the split second of hesitation he saw in TK’s gaze.

_Two._

Any sign of hesitation is enough for Carlos. He doesn’t want to push TK into something he’s not ready for. He wants their first kiss to be without anything holding them back, no matter how much Carlos wants to give in to his selfish desires right now.

_One._

Carlos catches a flash of disappointment in TK’s eyes as he abruptly pulls away. Carlos averts his gaze. “Happy New Year, TK,” he whispers.

TK’s shoulders sag as he creates more distance between himself and Carlos. “Happy New Year,” he whispers back, but it feels forced.

Carlos feels his heart clench. He doesn’t want to send the wrong message, he just wants to make sure TK is one hundred percent committed before Carlos pours his heart out into a kiss. It would hurt a hell of a lot more if TK ended up regretting anything that happened between them.

Carlos stands up, leaning over to press a soft kiss to TK’s forehead to make sure he knows he didn’t do anything wrong. TK’s eyes flutter shut at the motion, but he still seems confused as Carlos disappears up the stairs to get ready for bed.

He spends a while in the bathroom trying to calm down his racing heart and sort through his emotions. He wanted nothing more than to kiss TK, but as always, his anxiety got the best of him. He just didn’t want to be let down if TK reacted poorly, and he wanted to protect the Slytherin.

Carlos sighs as he runs his hands over his face and through his hair. It’s been a long night, and he needs sleep. After finishing his routine, he wanders into TK’s room to find the boy already curled up on his bed with his back facing Carlos.

He looks so small from here, and Carlos feels guilt rise in his stomach at the thought that he was the one who caused TK to go all quiet.

He decides to give TK his space for the night, laying down on the air mattress that hasn’t been used since their first day here. He tosses and turns as he tries to get comfortable, the empty space next to him taunting his decision to sleep alone.

He eventually falls into a fitful slumber, a new wave of restlessness overcoming him without TK in his arms to lull him to sleep.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

To say Carlos is distracted would be an understatement.

He should _not_ be distracted right now. He’s a thousand feet above the ground with hundreds of students cheering him on. His team is depending on him.

Yet his eyes find the other team’s seeker, when he should be scouring the sky for the tiny golden snitch.

The last two days of his stay at TK’s house were almost completely silent, save for necessary talk and Owen trying to fill the void with random conversation. The elder Strand definitely noticed that something had happened between them, but he thankfully didn’t comment on it.

Carlos has never felt that awkward around TK, even when they were at each other’s throats. He knows the animosity is his fault, and Carlos desperately wants to remedy the situation.

He’s tried making small talk with TK, but the boy only gives him clipped answers, never fully responding. It’s as if it pains TK to talk to him, something that has never been the case in their friendship.

It surprises Carlos, but it also hurts him. He thought he was protecting both TK and himself by not kissing him, but instead they’ve both ended up worse for wear.

The number of doubts Carlos has had over the past couple of days is beyond count, but one keeps popping up more than he would like.

What if he misjudged TK? What if TK actually _was_ ready to start something with him, but Carlos is the one who kept it all from happening?

The last two nights of sleeping with these persistent thoughts and without TK beside him have been absolute hell. Carlos knows bags are beginning to form under his eyes, and he’s not sure how much longer he can handle being this far from TK after they’ve grown so inseparable over the past months.

Carlos resolves that after this match, he’s going to sit down and talk to TK. He’s going to tell him every last bit of the truth and apologize for what happened on New Years’ Eve. That includes confessing how utterly, hopelessly in love he is with TK Strand.

His focus goes back to the pitch they’re currently on, the crowd roaring beneath him. His team is doing a hell of a job at a slightly lower altitude, passing the quaffle with ease and putting it through the large hoops. 

Slytherin’s offense isn’t that far behind, though. The two teams have found themselves in a constant back and forth, extremely close to a tie with each of them taking turns with having the lead. It looks like this game is going to be decided by whoever gets the snitch.

Carlos meets TK’s eyes, but the Slytherin seeker quickly looks away. He’s been doing that a lot recently, too.

However, this time, TK’s eyes are locked on a specific point above Carlos’ shoulder, and his eyes light up. Before he can comprehend what’s happening, Carlos feels the snitch whizz past his ear as TK rolls into a dive to try and catch it.

Carlos isn’t far behind him, pointing his broom down to trail after TK. He pushes forward, picking up speed, but he’s still just a hint shy of catching up with TK.

Suddenly, the snitch jolts, abruptly changing course. It shoots straight up, and both TK and Carlos lurch up towards it. They’re both at a one hundred and eighty degree angle, flat as a ruler as they rocket towards their ticket to winning the match.

The grass of the pitch disappears beneath them as they climb higher and higher, each of them dead set on being the reason their team wins.

Carlos inches slightly ahead of TK, reaching his hand out as far as it’ll go and feeling the cool metal of the ball brush his fingers. But right before he can wrap his hand around the snitch and secure Gryffindor’s victory, he sees the flash of a bludger in his periphery.

He tries to swerve out of the way, but he doesn’t move in time. Carlos can feel the weight of the iron crash into his side, causing him to lose his footing on his broom.

He vaguely registers a scream that he thinks sounds like his name as a sudden rush of air surrounds him. He barely has enough time to figure out that he’s falling, the ground speeding towards him way too fast.

And then everything goes dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...do you hate me yet?? there's a lot to unpack in this chapter lmao
> 
> they were so close..so close. one more chapter!! i can't believe this story is coming to an end this has been an absolutely insane ride.
> 
> i'm hoping to have the last chapter up within a couple of weeks! stay with me, we're almost there. the end is in sight!


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well...42k words and 3 months later, here we are.
> 
> as much as i've slacked on this story, i've really enjoyed this whole journey. there were times where i had no motivation at all and had to force myself to write, and there were others, like tonight, where i was beyond excited to get these words from my brain onto paper.
> 
> this process has made me discover so many new things about myself as a person and as a writer. i'm so grateful.
> 
> and thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has read this story and stuck with me. if it weren't for your comments and inspiration, i probably never would've finished this.
> 
> until next time <3

TK doesn’t think he’s ever run this fast in his life. He skids around the corner, nearly ramming into Grace as he enters the hospital wing.

“Grace! Is he okay? Can I see him? _Is he okay?_ ” TK bombards the girl with questions, speaking in a frenzy, not stopping for a moment to catch his breath. He needs to make sure that Carlos is safe.

He never thought that he could feel as much mind-numbing fear as he did in the moment that he saw Carlos fall off his broom from so high in the air. If a professor watching the match hadn’t casted that slowing charm in time, Carlos could be _dead_.

TK can feel his breaths start to quicken, the beginning of a panic attack. He almost let Carlos die while TK was avoiding him. He would never forgive himself if the last interaction they had was one of ignorance.

TK feels gentle hands brace his upper arms, and he meets Grace’s eyes. “TK, take some deep breaths. Carlos is going to be just fine. He’s a bit beaten up,” she says with a grimace, “but he’s going to be okay.”

TK lets out a sigh of relief as his breathing begins to even out again at the reassurance. He’s still not completely okay, though. He needs to see and talk to Carlos himself before he can fully relax.

“What’s the damage?” He asks Grace, curious for an update. He wasn’t allowed to follow Carlos directly to the hospital wing, instead obligated to stay with his team. The second he got permission, he was sprinting to where he knew Carlos was being tended to, still sweaty in his quidditch uniform.

“A few bruised ribs, a broken arm, and some pretty nasty cuts. It’s pretty good, all things considered. They’re waiting for him to wake up before they give him Skele-Gro for his arm, which won’t be a fun experience. They’ve stabilized it for now.”

“He still hasn’t woken up?” TK nearly screeches, his voice raw and panicked. It’s been hours since Carlos’ accident. 

“No,” Grace says grimly. “But Madame Clarke says he should be awake by tomorrow morning. I was just coming to find you and Judd to tell you guys.”

“ _Tomorrow morning?_ ” TK can feel himself starting to freak out again. It’s never good if someone is unconscious for that long after a near-fatal fall. There’s worry and sympathy in Grace’s eyes; he can tell she’s just as scared for her friend, but knows that it’s different for TK.

Before she can say anything else, Judd comes jogging up behind TK, clapping him in the shoulder as he regains his breath. “I got here as fast as I could. I can’t believe we had to go through all that shit with the team about the process for a rematch and proper ‘sportsmanship,’” Judd says sourly. The Slytherin actually went back to the dorms to change and shower, unlike TK.

He moves to his girlfriend, giving her a tight hug and rubbing her back to comfort her. “How’s he doing?”

Grace sighs as she pulls away from Judd, meeting TK’s eyes again. He doesn’t know what she sees in his gaze, but it’s obvious that she can tell he needs to get to Carlos as soon as possible. “He’s okay, but could be better. I was just about to take TK to visit him,” she says, never breaking eye contact with him.

“Alright then,” Judd says, slinging an arm over TK’s shoulders. “Let’s go see your boy.”

TK nods absentmindedly, already speed walking as Grace leads them to the curtain separating Carlos from the rest of the ward and the few patients residing there.

His eyes quickly skim the area, taking in some of Carlos’ friends and teammates sitting by his bedside, including Michelle, Mateo, Buck, and Eddie. They part after seeing him enter in order to give them some privacy, and TK’s eyes fall on Carlos.

He’s laying motionless in the bed with his arm propped up, looking absolutely helpless. TK takes in his split lip and bruised cheek, obviously hurting even in his sleep, and the dam finally breaks.

The tears start pouring uncontrollably down his face and before he knows it, the room has been emptied and he’s sitting in a chair alone next to Carlos, holding onto his uninjured hand with a death grip.

He doesn’t take his eyes off of the other boy for a second, not even when Grace moves from her spot at the entrance where she ushered everyone out. He feels more than sees her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in support.

“He’s lucky to have you, TK,” she whispers into his hairline. “He’s going to be okay, I promise.” She ruffles his hair before promising to check back in a few hours later, quietly leaving them alone.

TK gently rubs his thumb across Carlos’ wrist as he settles in, his mind whirring with a million different thoughts.

He almost _lost_ him. He almost lost the person who has become one of the most important people in his life, second only to his dad.

He feels petty and childish for having tried to ignore Carlos these past few days. Just because Carlos didn’t want to kiss him back doesn’t mean he doesn’t care for him. Carlos may not reciprocate his romantic feelings, but they still mean a hell of a lot to one another, and TK has no reason to take out his frustration on Carlos.

But still, he could’ve sworn he was picking up on some sort of mutual feelings. Carlos has always been sweet to him, but the increasing physical affection and the teasing that was not-so-borderline flirting gave him the courage he needed to lean in on New Year’s Eve.

And for a minute, he really thought he would be able to finally kiss the boy he’s slowly fallen for. He knew that the second their lips touched, his life would be changed forever. But now he’s not so sure he’ll ever get that moment.

His eyes roam over the numerous scratches that are littered across Carlos’ face. The space between his eyebrows is furrowed, far from resting even though he’s unconscious. TK moves to smooth out the crease before his fingers inch up to run through his curly hair, probably to calm himself more than Carlos.

TK isn’t sure how long he stays like that, lost in his thoughts of love and worry for the boy in front of him. It must be a while, though, because soon Grace is returning with Michelle and Paul in tow.

He startles at the sudden hand on his shoulder, not even hearing them come in. He turns to see Paul at his side, confused by his friend’s presence with the girls. He understands why Grace and Michelle are here, but Paul is a bit harder to figure out. TK is too tired to question it, though.

“How’s he doing?” Michelle asks quietly, her voice piercing the silent atmosphere. She looks almost as bad as TK is feeling. He feels guilty all of a sudden for taking away Michelle’s time with her best friend.

Amidst all of his worrying, TK didn’t really take the time to consider that he might be intruding, or that it’s not his place to constantly hover by Carlos’ bedside, no matter how much he wants to.

TK shrugs, keeping his eyes on Carlos. He doesn’t want to let him out of his sight. Even though he knows he should leave, not even a dementor could force him out of this chair right now.

“Same as before.” His voice is raw from the lack of use, and he can hear his words crack under the weight of his emotions.

“TK, we should get you back to the dorms. Take a shower and get a good night of sleep, then you can come see Carlos again tomorrow after class. You need to make sure you’re taking care of yourself,” Paul says softly after a few moments of silence.

Ah. So that’s why Paul’s here. TK has no doubt that Paul cares about Carlos and wants to check up on him, but he also knows that Paul is somewhat of a mother hen when it comes to his close friends.

He appreciates the concern, but TK isn’t going anywhere until Carlos can look him in the eye and say that he’s okay. Even then, he’ll still worry. When it comes to Carlos’ wellbeing, TK’s own health is put on the backburner.

TK shakes his head at Paul, squeezing Carlos’ free hand even tighter. “No. I’m not leaving him alone,” TK whispers. He’s exhausted, and all of the feelings from today are making him even more emotional. He can feel the tears welling up in his eyes again.

In his peripheral vision, he can see his three friends exchanging glances. They know he’s not going to change his mind.

“Okay,” Grace says gently. “Michelle is going to stay for a bit, but please eat something try and get some sleep, TK. We brought some snacks. Carlos wouldn’t want you worrying over him.”

Paul nods in agreement. “We’ll be back in the morning, bud. If he wakes up while we’re gone, give him our best.”

TK musters up a nod, and he vaguely registers Grace and Paul give him brief hugs before quietly leaving the room. He can still feel eyes on him, and he moves his gaze from Carlos to Michelle, who’s sitting on the opposite side of the bed.

She’s staring at him with a pensive yet calculating look in her eyes. He can sense her own pain and worry, but there’s also a flash of understanding between them.

“How long?” Michelle asks, slicing through the silence that has fallen over them.

TK gives her a confused look. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t that. “What do you mean?”

“How long have you guys been together?” Her eyes are piercing, intent on getting an answer. TK splutters and his cheeks begin to burn a bright pink, but Michelle plows on, not noticing his discomfort. “I can’t say I’m surprised, but I’m a little disappointed my best friend here didn’t tell me. He usually doesn’t shut up about you.”

“Michelle!” TK interrupts her, his face growing warmer the more she speaks. “We’re not- he didn’t- no. We’re not, uh,” TK motions between him and Carlos with the hand that isn’t holding the one in the bed.

Michelle raises her eyebrows, clearly not believing him with the way he still won’t let go of Carlos. “No shit? I thought y’all would’ve gotten it together by now,” she mumbles.

TK is extremely lost, going in circles trying to chase where this conversation has gone. The sweat has dried in his quidditch uniform, leaving him feeling gross and tired from both the match and the never-ending worry and fear he’s been feeling ever since Carlos went down.

This could be his chance, though, to get a glimpse into Carlos’ mind. This is _Michelle_ for fucks’ sake. These two are always glued at the hip. No one knows him better than Michelle, although TK thinks he may be starting to climb that ladder. Nevertheless, it probably wouldn’t hurt to be honest with her.

“I like him,” he says slowly, underneath his breath. He’s still not used to saying that out loud. “I like him a lot, Michelle. He just doesn’t feel the same,” he shrugs, avoiding her gaze.

“Now why the hell would you think that? Did you miss the part where I said he never shuts up about you? You’re the most important person in his life,” Michelle states with confidence, zero doubt about what she just said.

TK shrugs again, even though her sureness has him second-guessing everything. “On New Year’s Eve we, um. We were about to kiss, I think.” He’s blushing again, and he rubs his free hand on the back of his neck. “But he, uh, he pulled away before anything happened.”

“That little shit,” Michelle hisses. She’s looking at Carlos as if she wants to slap him, but refrains only because he’s unconscious. “He and I are going to have a long talk about this when he wakes up,” she rolls her eyes.

She turns her attention back to TK, leaning across the bed to grasp his hand over Carlos’ body. “I’m not going to act like I know what’s going through that dumbass brain of his. But I do know that he’s been acting weird these past couple days and hasn’t gotten much sleep. I also know that he cares about you a fuck ton, probably more than you’ll ever imagine. You two need to have an actual talk instead of dancing around all of these feelings, okay?”

TK has noticed that Michelle has this way of getting straight to the point of a conversation, cutting through all the bullshit. It’s impressive, and it definitely comes in handy in moments like these.

“Okay,” he responds, his voice low. Michelle hums in approval, happy with his answer.

Her words have butterflies swarming in his stomach at the idea that maybe this isn’t all one sided. There’s most likely a reason for Carlos’ reluctance that night, and TK needs to give him the chance to explain.

TK can’t deny the obvious chemistry between them. All of the gentle touches, the soft words, the flirting. He’s done pushing it all aside. He’s tired of pretending.

TK feels something similar to hope begin to rise in his chest. As if she’s aware of his sudden epiphany, Michelle stands from her side of the bed.

“I’m going to head to bed, TK. You should get some sleep too.” She presses a soft kiss to Carlos’ hairline before she moves towards the exit. Right before she leaves, she turns to face TK one last time. “Just don’t break his heart, TK. He deserves to be happy.”

“I know,” he smiles softly, meeting her eyes again. “I would never hurt him, at least not on purpose. I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to keep him happy,” he says quietly, his voice laced with determination. He means every single word. He’s done acting like he’s not completely and utterly in love with the boy in front of him.

Michelle nods at him with a small smile, disappearing from sight. TK is glad he at least has approval from Carlos’ best friend. That has to count for something, right?

TK is alone once again with Carlos, and it’s getting late. TK can feel the exhaustion from the day starting to overcome him. He slumps further into his chair, preparing to stay the night.

He studies Carlos’ face as he starts to drift off, battered but still incredibly beautiful. He might go insane if he has to go much longer without kissing his stupid face.

Carlos just needs to wake the fuck up, then they can have that much needed conversation. Until then, TK is adamant about sticking by his side, and won’t budge until he’s a hundred percent certain that Carlos is okay.

He’s still holding his hand as the world starts to fade away around him, and TK falls into an uneasy sleep in the uncomfortable plastic chair.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

The first rays of daylight are just beginning to shine when TK stirs, momentarily disoriented when he feels a hand squeeze in his. All of his exhaustion immediately evaporates when he realizes that it’s Carlos. That he’s awake.

TK shoots up in his seat, his wide eyes meeting Carlos’ soft brown ones. He seems beyond tired, but he’s awake, and that’s all that matters. He’s awake, and he’s looking at TK in that indescribable way of his.

“Carlos,” TK chokes out, tears already rimming in his eyes at all of the overwhelming emotions swelling in his chest.

“Hey, Ty,” Carlos says, his voice hoarse from the lack of use.

“How are you feeling?” TK asks, worry bleeding through his voice. He grips Carlos’ hand impossibly tighter.

“I feel like shit,” Carlos gets out through a gruff laugh. TK lets his eyes scour over Carlos’ face for the hundredth time, searching for any injuries he may have missed in the hours of watching him lay unconscious in this godforsaken bed.

His anxiety must be written all over his face, because Carlos gently lets go of TK’s hand to cup his jaw. “Tyler, I’m fine. I promise,” he says, never breaking eye contact. His touch sends a shiver down TK’s spine, and he can feel his heart lurch into his throat. "Besides, medical magic works wonders. I'll practically be back to normal by tonight," he shrugs.

“The real question is, are _you_ okay? You’re still in your quidditch uniform,” Carlos questions, taking in his ragged appearance. It’s his turn to be concerned, focusing all his attention on TK, even though he’s the one in the hospital bed.

TK stares at him in disbelief before letting out a short laugh. It’s so very Carlos Reyes to wake up after a near death experience and be worried about someone else. TK shakes his head fondly. “I’m better now that you’re awake. You can’t scare me like that, Reyes,” TK attempts for a teasing tone, but it comes out more strangled than he would like.

Carlos can obviously tell that this whole situation has taken a toll on TK, and his gaze turns guilty. “I know. I’m sorry, I really am. I’m sorry about a lot of things, if we’re being honest,” he says quietly, a hint of something akin to determination entering his expression.

TK just looks at him, confused as to what he could be talking about. They’ve already cleared the air about everything regarding their past feud, so he can’t imagine what he’d be referencing.

Carlos opens his mouth to speak, but whatever he’s about to say is interrupted by Madame Clarke sweeping into the room.

“Mr. Reyes! Good to see you awake this morning. You too, Mr. Strand.” She puts a hand over part of her mouth, angling towards Carlos. “You know, this one hasn’t left your side since you arrived,” she says under her breath, as if it’s a secret only she and Carlos are allowed to know, winking at him in the process.

TK can feel his face go crimson, and when he looks up he finds Carlos in a similar state. Madame Clarke goes about her business, oblivious to their embarrassment. 

She flits around the room, fiddling with different magical medical instruments while asking Carlos a plethora of questions about how he’s feeling. The process is weirdly soothing for TK, providing some sort of reassurance that Carlos will actually be okay.

Eventually the nurse stops her flurry of movement, extending a small bottle of liquid towards Carlos. “Okay, dear. Now you’ve got to drink this for your arm. I’m not going to lie, it’s going to hurt a good amount. But you’ll feel ten times better once it’s over.”

Carlos stares at the vial of Skele-Gro with dread in his face. TK understands his hesitation; this isn’t the first time either of them have had broken bones due to quidditch accidents, and the experience isn’t pleasant.

“I can step out for a few minutes if you want some privacy,” TK offers, even though he’d rather do anything but. He still doesn’t want to let Carlos out of his sight.

“No!” Carlos half-shouts, his hand immediately taking TK’s back in his own. Carlos turns flustered once again, a deep red running up the back of his neck. It’s adorable. “I mean, uh, could you stay? Please?” Carlos’ eyes are wide and vulnerable, as if TK would even think of saying no.

“Of course,” TK promises. He feels like there’s this new wave of understanding between them, even if it goes unspoken. That they’re there for each other, no matter what.

So TK sits next to him, holding Carlos’ hand as he throws back the Skele-Gro in one fluid motion. TK watches in sympathy as Carlos’ face distorts in excruciating pain, squeezing his hand until his knuckles turn white.

He rubs small circles onto the back of Carlos’ hand with his thumb as the aches start to subside, and the small lines of discomfort begin to slowly disappear from his face. Carlos shakes the feeling back into his previously broken arm, wincing as everything resets.

When Carlos’ eyes finally open, they’re filled with so much affection and appreciation for TK that the Slytherin nearly can’t handle it. Carlos wears his heart out on his sleeve, and the amount of care he constantly shows for TK, even in his own moments of hurt, never fails to amaze him.

They stare at each other in silence for a few moments before Carlos’ line of sight shifts to the clock by his bedside, his eyebrows shooting up in alarm. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for class? It’s the first day back,” Carlos says, a sense of urgency filling his voice.

TK is barely fazed, amused by Carlos’ insistence. It’s funny, really, that he thinks TK would be able to attend, much less focus on, his classes when the love of his life is in the hospital wing.

“Carlos. I kind of have more important things to worry about than school at the moment,” TK deadpans, but Carlos is already shaking his head.

“No, you need to go to class. I know how much your schoolwork means to you, and I don’t want to be the reason you skip. I’ll probably be napping all day anyways, so you won’t be missing much. I’m exhausted. I’ll still be here later, and as much as I like seeing your face, I don’t want to see it any earlier than 3pm.”

TK lets out a short laugh at Carlos’ words and his adamance. And TK thought _he_ was the stubborn one in this relationship. Carlos really is too good for him. However, TK still protests. He really doesn’t want to leave Carlos if he doesn’t have to.

“TK, I’m the one sick and bedridden. You’re not going to deny a request from someone sick and bedridden, are you?” Carlos’ eyes are filled with mirth, obviously already feeling way better than he did before.

TK scoffs and rolls his eyes. “You’re such a brat,” he teases with a smile, but nevertheless stands up and makes to leave. He ruffles Carlos’ hair one last time before asking him yet again if he’s okay.

“Ty, I’m fine. Now go! You’ll only be a few minutes late for potions if you hurry,” he says, play-shoving TK out of the room.

TK stops in the doorway, taking one last look at Carlos. He can’t believe it took him so long to figure out just how gone he is. He feels like his love for the other boy keeps building more and more within him, threatening to spill over. Those feelings used to scare the living shit out of TK, but he’s done hiding his emotions when it comes to Carlos.

TK realizes that he’s staring, and quickly averts his gaze. Carlos looks a lot more comfortable than he did the night before, and TK knows he’s already doing better. That, along with the knowledge that Carlos truly wants him to go to class, is the only thing that convinces TK’s feet to start moving away from the hospital wing and towards his dorm to shower and get ready.

When TK stumbles into the dungeons ten minutes after class has started, he’s met with surprised expressions from Grace and Judd. They probably didn’t expect him to be anywhere other than right next to Carlos. They're not alone in that train of thought; he didn’t think he’d be here either.

They both look like they have a million questions, and TK doesn’t blame them. He wouldn’t hesitate to update them if not for Professor Windsor, who’s currently lecturing about how “just because we took a break doesn’t mean your brain should” and how “this surprise back-to-school potion should test whether or not you’ve actually learned anything.”

TK sends the couple a pointed nod, indicating that he’ll talk to them once class is over. They both give him incredulous looks, but nevertheless return to facing the front of the classroom.

TK makes his way to his usual table as quietly as possible. When he sits down, the empty seat next to him is more obvious than ever, its presence looming. It feels weird to be in potions without Carlos babbling his ear off and whispering jokes under his breath while their teacher is speaking. 

He misses it. He’s only been away from him for not even an hour, but he already longs to be back next to Carlos.

He sulks through the rest of the class period, alone in making the potion they’ve been assigned for the first time ever. He struggles a bit, not used to reading the instructions and measuring out ingredients without Carlos hovering over his shoulder, quadruple-checking his actions.

At one point, he spares a cursory glance over his shoulder, not really thinking much of it, until he meets Alex’s eyes. It’s in that moment that TK realizes it: he feels nothing when looking at him. All of the heartbreak, pain, love, and aching has been replaced with indifference. 

TK still holds some fondness for their good memories together, but he’s hit with a sudden bout of understanding, a new means of comprehension. He’s ready to put their past behind them, and move on for good. Hopefully with a certain Gryffindor on the other side of the school, but that’s a whole other conversation.

TK is more than sure he’s been ready for a while, but this moment is when he’s truly able to say, ‘ _Yeah, I’m over him, and I wish him the best.’_

He has no doubt that Carlos has played a huge role in his self-discovery, especially with his newfound feelings that may not actually be so new. It’s wild, when he really thinks about it.

These past few weeks of reflection have allowed TK to recognize how different Carlos and Alex are, and how different their impacts have been on him. His story with Alex may have come to an end, but his story with Carlos is just beginning.

TK smiles down at his now-finished potion, proud of himself for how far he’s come. He pours a portion of the liquid into a vial and writes his name on it, grimacing at the blank space where Carlos’ name usually sits.

He’s caught up in thoughts of Carlos and his appreciation for him as he walks up to Professor Windsor, handing her his potion. Before he can return to his seat, though, she’s calling his name. He turns to her, a confused look on his face. “Yes ma’am?”

“I heard about what happened to Mr. Reyes. Give him my best, will you? It’s a shame you couldn’t work together today, you two certainly do make a good team,” she says with a blinding grin, but with eyes filled with sympathy and knowing.

TK ducks his head as his cheeks turn rosy, mumbling something in response about how he’d pass along her well wishes. However, his mind is still stuck on her last words. They do make a pretty fucking amazing team, don’t they?

He’s still thinking about that one sentence, how nonchalantly Professor Windsor said it, as he gathers his things and makes his way out of the dungeons. Soon, though, Grace and Judd are catching up to him with matching looks of concern.

“TK! What are you doing here? Is he awake?” Grace questions him with wild eyes, ready to absorb every detail.

“Yes, he’s very much awake, and was particularly bossy this morning,” TK says around a tired laugh. “He pretty much forced me to go to all my classes today.” TK scrunches up his nose at the reminder of the full schedule ahead of him, still not liking the prospect of dragging through the rest of the school day without seeing Carlos.

Grace lets out a relieved laugh, clearly happy to hear that Carlos is already back to his usual self. “Good. Yeah, that’s good. Michelle, Mateo, and I are gonna go visit him during lunch, so he can give us the rest of the updates then.”

“What about you? How are you doing?” Judd asks, taking in his appearance. TK knows he probably doesn’t look too hot, despite the refreshing shower. He saw a glimpse of himself in the mirror on his way out of the Slytherin dorms, dark circles beneath his eyes and lines of worry and exhaustion etched into his face.

TK shrugs. “Honestly? I’m a lot better than yesterday, especially now that I’ve talked to him and seen him moving around. He’s already doing better,” he says truthfully.

“That’s what we like to hear!” Judd cheers, grinning broadly. “Just make sure you’re taking care of yourself, kid. I’m glad Reyes made you go to class today, it’s probably for the best. I’m just surprised you actually agreed to it.”

“Well, you know, he whipped out the puppy dog eyes, and all was said and done,” TK half-teases, enjoying how they’re getting back to some sort of normal after Carlos’ scare.

Grace and Judd laugh before wishing him farewell, promising to meet up again later. The rest of the day passes in somewhat of a blur, and before he knows it he’s back in that goddamn plastic chair he’s gotten so acquainted with.

Carlos is giving him the latest update from Madame Clarke, complaining about wanting to go back to the dorms and his classes. “She wants to keep me here for two more days for observation. _Two_ , TK!” he groans, exasperated.

TK laughs at his dramatics, looking at Carlos with unfiltered fondness and affection. Honestly, at this point, it’s Carlos’ own fault for not noticing how infatuated TK is. “You know she just wants to be as cautious as possible to make sure you’re one hundred percent okay,” TK reasons.

“But I _am_ okay,” Carlos pouts. This whiny version of Carlos is absolutely adorable, and TK can practically feel the love pouring out of his chest.

“How did it go with your friends earlier?” TK switches gears after a few moments of silence. He desperately wanted to check in at lunchtime, but he promised Carlos he’d wait until the end of the day, and he wanted to give him some time alone with his friends.

“It was really nice,” Carlos says, a smile rising on his face at the reminder of his little friend group. His expression soon turns more serious, and he bites his lip in contemplation. “Michelle, um, had some choice words for me,” he admits, his face turning red.

They both know what he’s talking about. Flashes of his conversation with Michelle the previous night come to TK’s head, and he knows that this is when he finds out whether or not he’ll have to contain his feelings, or if they can grow what’s already started between them into something absolutely beautiful.

“Oh yeah? What about?” TK tries to keep his voice steady.

“Well, how I’m an idiot, for one,” Carlos starts. He looks up to meet TK’s eyes, and TK can see the vulnerability and fear swimming in his gaze.

“That you are,” TK hums, giving him a teasing grin. Carlos shoves him half-heartedly with one hand, chuckling and mumbling a ‘shut up’ under his breath as his face turns a gorgeous shade of pink.

All at once, any and all nervous tension between them immediately evaporates. This conversation has been a long time coming, and they’re ready.

“Seriously, TK, I’m sorry,” Carlos says, looking at him earnestly. “I was trying to go at your pace and didn’t want to rush anything, but in the process I hurt you and ruined whatever we had going for us. I’m sorry,” he says sadly, averting his gaze.

And that tone simply will not do.

“You really are an idiot, huh?” he whispers. At Carlos’ panicked expression, TK rushes to amend. He scoots up in his chair, moving closer to Carlos and cupping his cheek, the bruises almost already completely healed from magic, and forces him to meet his eyes. 

“Carlos, you didn’t ruin anything. It’s sweet that you wanted to let me control how fast we went, especially after everything with Alex. A lot of people wouldn’t do that. But you’re not a lot of people,” TK smiles softly, brushing his thumb across Carlos’ jaw. Carlos leans into the touch.

“We’re pretty awful at that whole communication thing, aren’t we?” Carlos says quietly, the beginnings of a smirk rising on his face.

TK lets out a soft laugh, making to move out of Carlos’ space, but Carlos pulls him in closer, keeping him there. TK’s breath hitches at their proximity, mere inches between their faces.

“Yeah, we are pretty bad at it. But we can get better,” he says breathlessly.

“I’d like that,” Carlos murmurs. And then he smiles that stupid fucking smile again, and TK melts.

It’s nothing compared to what Carlos does next, though. 

His fingers wrap around TK’s wrist, sliding down to intertwine their fingers. The space between them is charged with electricity as Carlos leans up, pressing a featherlight kiss to TK’s cheek. “Ten,” he whispers.

Another kiss to the opposite cheek. “Nine.”

A slow smile grows on TK’s face as he realizes what Carlos is doing. 

One to his forehead. The spot just below each of his ears. The most gentle of kisses, all along his jaw as he continues to count down. TK’s heart pounds louder and louder with each touch, and it’s a wonder Carlos can’t hear it.

The area between his eyebrows. “Two.”

Carlos’ eyes flick down to his lips and then back up to meet his gaze. The amount of love and care TK sees there is completely and absolutely overwhelming. He’s sure something similar is reflected in his own blue-green eyes.

“Are you sure about this?” Carlos asks one last time, nervous excitement lacing his voice. 

TK rolls his eyes fondly. He cannot go another second without kissing this boy. “Yes, you dumbass,” TK laughs against his mouth, gripping Carlos by the collar of his shirt and finally connecting their lips.

There are a few things TK notices when he kisses Carlos for the first time. One: his lips are incredibly soft. Familiar. It feels like they’ve done this a million times already. Two: the constant buzz of adrenaline underneath his skin, a feeling he knows will never disappear. Three: just like when they were sharing the same bed, they fit together like puzzle pieces. It just feels _right_. Finally, he feels whole.

And four: Kissing Carlos Reyes feels like coming home.

TK lifts the hand that’s not being held by Carlos to run his fingers through the other boy’s curls as he deepens the kiss. Carlos lets out an involuntary noise at his actions, and it only fuels TK’s desire.

Eventually they have to pull apart for air, and TK takes a moment to look at the boy in front of him. Carlos is completely disheveled, from his hair to his clothes to his lips, red from kissing. His cheeks are flushed, and he has a glazed look of wonder in his eyes, one that no doubt matches TK’s current expression if his feelings are anything to go by.

“One,” Carlos breathes out into the limited space between them, sounding absolutely wrecked. TK lets out a hysterical laugh, falling against Carlos’ chest. He adjusts himself so he’s laying fully on the hospital wing bed, his head in the crook of Carlos’ neck with the Gryffindor’s arm around him.

“Happy New Year, Tyler,” Carlos whispers against his hairline, pressing another kiss there. TK laughs again at their little redo and how well it’s turned out. 

“Happy New Year, Carlos,” he responds, looking up into those eyes he loves so much, resting his chin on Carlos’ shoulder.

They grin giddily at each other for a few more moments before connecting their lips again; once, twice, three times. TK will never grow tired of kissing Carlos.

After the initial rush of elation and bliss have dimmed a bit, a moment from earlier in the day pops into TK’s mind. “Professor Windsor said something today that stuck with me,” he comments off-handedly, drawing circles into Carlos’ chest.

Carlos makes a noise of interest, encouraging TK to continue. “She seems to think that we make a pretty good team,” he says softly. “We do, you know. Make a good team.”

TK can feel Carlos smile against his hair. “We really do, don’t we?”

TK squeezes Carlos’ hand, and he squeezes back.

They lay there for a while, just basking in the feeling of one another, in the knowledge that they can just _be._ Then Carlos turns his head to face TK, that look of affection never leaving his gaze. 

“Hey, TK?” he says lowly. TK hums against his chest, not wanting to break the peaceful atmosphere. “I really like you.”

A wide smile rises on TK’s face at how adorable Carlos is, how he feels like he needs to say it out loud to make sure TK knows. They did say they would work on their communication, though. 

“I really like you too, Carlos,” TK says, loving the way Carlos’ face lights up at his words. TK knows he’s far past just liking him, that he’s all in, as long as Carlos will have him. He will love Carlos for the rest of his life, there is no doubt in his mind.

But they don’t need to say “I love you” now, tomorrow, or next week. They know how much they mean to each other.

Besides, they have all the time in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda scared bc good stories can turn bad so fast with a shit ending lol i hope that didn't happen here i rly didn't want it to seem rushed and i hope the ending doesn't seem too abrupt :/
> 
> i'm highly considering writing an epilogue of some sort if i have the time, but with school starting, there's no promises.
> 
> again, this was such a fun (and at times stressful) summer project and i have lost too many hours of sleep over this LMAO but it was so worth it!!!
> 
> once again, thank you all so much for your support. it means the absolute world.
> 
> forever grateful for all ur comments and kudos <3


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys!! after some thinking, i realized that i wasn't super satisfied with my ending. i think i was just really excited to finally finish this story, and as a result, the ending came out kind of rushed.
> 
> i feel like this lil epilogue does a pretty good job of giving some closure and some extra fluff
> 
> enjoy <3

_Four Months Later_

This is it. It’s the final match of the season, and this game determines which house wins the Quidditch Cup. Of course, Carlos is playing against his boyfriend. He shouldn’t have expected anything less.

It’s extremely hard to focus on searching for the snitch when TK keeps making faces at him from across the pitch. Carlos tries to ignore him, he truly does, but he’s not the first to admit that he’s easily distracted by TK.

Even though he’s not close enough to see, Carlos knows that there’s amusement and giddiness shining in TK’s eyes. He knows his smallest thoughts and movements like the back of his hand, down to the slightest tick. He’s spent enough time staring at him to know by now.

Carlos rolls his eyes and shakes his head at TK’s antics, making the Slytherin blow a half-mocking kiss in his direction. Carlos laughs, but can also feel the blush rising on his neck.

They’ve officially been together for nearly four months now, but Carlos’ heart never fails to skip a beat, whether it be when TK looks at him like he’s the most important person in the world or if they’re simply exchanging their usual flirty banter.

He still can’t believe it sometimes. Carlos never thought TK would see him as a friend, much less as his fucking _boyfriend._ He can’t help but smile like a little schoolgirl whenever he remembers how damn lucky he is.

Not only that, but things are just _so good_ between them. Carlos feels like he’s on cloud nine around TK, never leaving their dates or quick talks without a lovestruck grin on his face. The best part is, he knows all these feelings are mutual.

Ever since they first got together, Carlos and TK agreed to improve on their communication, always being open and honest with one another. It’s a little rule they’ve set, and it’s worked out really well. Neither of them hesitate to talk about what’s bothering them or how they’re feeling when they’re around each other.

They’ve had a few petty disagreements that are a part of any healthy relationship, but it’s always quickly resolved. For the most part, though, Carlos and TK have been absolutely glued at the hip, lost in their own little world. 

Their friends complain about them still being in the ‘honeymoon phase,’ but Carlos can’t see himself as anything but completely in love with TK. Not that he’s told him that, at least not yet.

At first, Carlos wanted to make sure he wasn’t rushing their relationship. He wanted to let TK set the pace due to everything he had gone through, and all so recently. 

But now, seeing how far they’ve both come, he thinks they might be ready. Those three little words have been threatening to spill over for too long, and Carlos doesn’t know how much longer he can hold himself back.

Carlos turns his attention back to the quidditch championship, but flies closer to his boyfriend.

“Hey handsome,” TK grins wickedly, winking at him. 

Carlos rolls his eyes again, but there’s a smile of his own gracing his features. “You’re a menace, you know that?”

“I know,” he smirks. “But you love it.”

Carlos almost laughs at how in sync he and TK are. This man really can read his mind, can’t he? 

After a beat, TK’s eyes widen at the implication of his words. Before his boyfriend inevitably spirals like Carlos knows he will, he takes the opening.

“Yeah,” he says softly, his eyes full of affection as he meets TK’s eyes. “I do.”

It’s not exactly the time or place he imagined, but the sentiment remains. He lets the not-so-hidden meaning of his own words hang heavy in the air between them as TK’s gaze turns incredibly soft, his whole demeanor practically turning to mush.

However, before TK can move from his surprised yet seemingly enamored stupor, Carlos sees a flash of gold flit behind the Slytherin, and he takes off. Part of him was probably a bit nervous to hear TK’s response, even though he knows it’s most likely positive, but the other part of him also really wants to win this match and the title of a Quidditch Cup champion. That, and bragging rights over TK.

He sees a blur of green in his peripheral vision; TK speeding after him. But Carlos has too big of a lead over him, and there’s no way TK will catch up. This game is Gryffindor’s. Carlos can feel his heart pounding in his chest at the idea of victory.

The snitch isn’t going to be caught that easily, and Carlos knows it. But Carlos anticipates each of its moves, swerving up and down and left and right as he slowly gains on the snitch. And this time, he’s prepared for the bludger that rockets towards him, expertly rolling out of the way to avoid another nasty fall.

The crowd beneath him is absolutely deafening as he chases after the snitch, and when he finally clasps his hand around the small golden object, he’s surprised he doesn’t lose his hearing. The rush of adrenaline and pure joy at the realization that his team just won the fucking _Quidditch Cup_ is a moment he’ll never forget.

The next few minutes pass by in a blur, Carlos landing and immediately being swarmed by teammates, lifted onto their shoulders. He can’t stop smiling. 

When they eventually put him down and the crowd begins to disperse towards the castle and the locker rooms, Carlos scans his surroundings to look for TK, who he lost sight of amidst the chaos. Although he’s happy his team won, he knows how important this match was to his boyfriend, and he wants to make sure he’s okay.

When he finally spots TK, the boy isn’t upset, but rather sporting a wide grin of his own. As soon as they lock eyes, TK is rocketing into his arms, pulling him close.

“I’m so proud of you, baby,” he whispers into his ear, tightening his hold around his shoulders.

Carlos smiles against TK’s neck, turning to give his jaw a quick kiss. “You’ve got a good amount to be proud of too, Ty. You played really well,” he murmurs.

TK pulls back to meet his eyes, their faces only inches apart. He’s looking at Carlos the same way as before, when Carlos let him have a glimpse of his deeper feelings.

They stare at each other for a couple moments with soft smiles on their faces before TK closes the gap, holding Carlos’ cheek gently with one hand and running his fingers through Carlos’ curly hair with the other.

Carlos responds automatically, strengthening his grip around TK’s hips. Kissing TK is all-consuming and absolutely addicting. He’ll never get tired of the way kissing TK makes him feel. He plans to keep kissing him for the rest of his life.

Before they can deepen the kiss any further, a loud shout makes them pull away. “Enough with the PDA, lovebirds!” Marjan yells.

Carlos looks over TK’s shoulder to see their group of friends, Gryffindors and Slytherins alike, making their way towards them on the now nearly-empty pitch.

TK moves to his side, tucking himself under Carlos’ arm and leaning into him. Carlos leans right back, pressing a chaste kiss to the top of his head.

They laugh along when their friends make more jokes as they get closer, something the pair has grown accustomed to. Carlos and TK take their jabs in stride, responding with equal fervor and amusement. 

As the group makes their way back to Hogwarts, the two share a look full of understanding. Understanding, and what Carlos is sure is love. It makes his heart thunder in his chest, even more so than when he’s simply in TK’s presence.

He didn’t have time to hear TK’s response to his implied meaning earlier, even if he didn’t directly say those three small words. However, just looking at TK, he knows it's not just one sided. He’s pretty sure he’s known since he was in the hospital wing, and probably even before that.

They’re forever, and they both know it.

It’s hours before they finally have a moment alone. They went to Hogsmeade to celebrate with their friends, and then another party welcomed him when Carlos entered the Gryffindor common room later on.

Now, he and TK are cuddled up on the common room couch, the space completely empty due to the late hour of the night. TK is sprawled on top of Carlos, both of them laying down. TK’s chin is propped up on his chest, looking up at him as Carlos absentmindedly rubs circles onto his back.

They’ve been talking about everything and nothing for a couple hours now, something that has become a norm since they started dating. They appreciate every second they can get together, no matter how trivial the conversation.

They usually can’t get away with spending the night together because of the castle curfew, but tonight’s a little more flexible. Gryffindor just won the Quidditch Cup, for fucks sake.

Carlos is starting to get sleepy, and he can tell TK is too. Nights like these are his favorite, where they can just be together and stay together. He always sleeps the best when he’s pressed up against TK.

Before he can drift off, he hears TK’s soft voice echo in the silence around them. “Hey,” he says, tapping Carlos’ chest lightly. Carlos flutters open his eyes to see TK staring at him with a soft yet intent look on his face. Carlos hums in response, a little more awake after seeing TK’s determined yet nervous expression.

“Earlier…” TK trails off, obviously not knowing how to bring up the subject. Carlos is fully awake now, keying into what TK is referencing. “Did you mean it?” TK questions hesitantly, his voice barely a whisper. He’s looking back down now, avoiding Carlos’ eyes.

Carlos smiles softly, using one of his hands to maneuver TK’s face to meet his gaze. He wants to make sure he sees the truth, affection, and overwhelming love in his eyes when he says these next words. 

“Yes,” he starts quietly. TK inhales sharply, overtaken by sudden emotion. “Tyler Kennedy Strand, I love you with all my heart. You don’t have to say it back, I just want you to know-”

Carlos is cut off by lips on his, passionate and filled with love. It’s the kind of kiss he gets when they’re being sappy with each other in quiet moments, but this time it’s multiplied by ten.

“I love you too, you idiot,” TK smiles against his lips, giving him another peck. “So much.”

“Yeah?” Carlos is smiling too, barely able to contain his happiness with how the day has gone.

“Yeah,” TK responds, laughter bubbling over. Carlos laughs too, pulling TK impossibly closer and kissing him yet again as if he can fuse them together.

“Good, because you’re stuck with me,” Carlos says once they’ve calmed down. They’re looking at each other with unbridled love and care, and Carlos thinks his heart might burst.

“That’s perfectly fine with me,” TK sighs, burrowing his face into Carlos’ neck. “I want to be stuck with you for as long as possible.”

“That’s the plan,” Carlos murmurs, feeling the exhaustion of the day sweep over him yet again.

Carlos still has a lot of things to figure out, but one thing’s for sure: TK is his person, and he knows he’s got him on his side for the rest of this crazy journey he calls his life.

He falls asleep that night knowing that he’s loved and that he’s safe with the boy in his arms, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

He thinks they’re going to be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story hasn't left my mind this past week bc i kept feeling conflicted with how i ended things. i feel content now knowing this is the final ending, and that these boys have such a great future ahead of them :)
> 
> one last time, thank you all so much for your support. comments and kudos are always so so appreciated.
> 
> i might be back at some point if i have random oneshot ideas (and if u have any requests just lmk in the comments) but other than that i'm gonna focus on school but yeah thank u all for everything <3


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